Harry Potter and the Spy of Slytherin
by Snowie2
Summary: Yes, another BTVSHP cross. Harry runs into some trouble with some Death Eaters and finds an unusual ally in the fight against Voldemort. The Scoobies travel to London, meet up with Dumbledore and join The Order... Insanity ensues...
1. Prologue

Okay everyone, I just could not resist writing this story. I don't claim that it's any great work of fiction, it's just hellafun (this is my own personal short version of _hell of a lot of fun_, in case anyone was wondering…) to write! The prologue is not the most interesting of things, I will give you that. Just trying to get the exposition out of the way as much as possible. Hopefully that will open up the first few chapters to more action than without it.

This is post Chosen (BtVS) and post OotP (Harry Potter).

The only set pairing for this story is Ron and Hermione. The only one that will definitely not be happening is Harry and Hermione. (Oh and no Draco/Harry. It's not happening, don't even ask.) That said, pretty much everything else is fair game. Feel free to make requests, I might be feeling generous…

I'm sure that many of you will be able to guess who the Slytherin Spy is. Those who get it right get… a cookie… and I might be convinced to let you make an eensy request about the story. (Yes, this is a 'highly' disguised plea for replies…;)

Harry's going to be (mostly) a lot less pissy in this story. He's also going to be taking control of his own destiny and powers, which are actually considerable when you get right down to it (because this is my story and I said so!)

All right, I think that's everything. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own HP or BtVS. I merely like to borrow the characters and torture them a bit. All rights belong to J.K Rowling, Scholastic, Joss Whedon, etc., etc. Don't sue, I don't have any money…

Anyway, I hope you like it!

Snowie

****

Harry Potter and the Spy of Slytherin

Prologue, Part One: New Arrivals

'Ah, London!' had quickly become 'oh, London' for the remaining members of the Scooby Gang.

They were there to help Giles start to piece together some semblance of a Watcher's Council. Buffy had fought against this at first, her own experiences with the Council making her somewhat glad that it was rubble. Then the realities of Slayers galore had kicked in.

Since most of the remnants of the council resided in London, it was decided that London was where they needed to go.

Buffy had muttered darkly about tweedland and damned stuffy Brits, but had encouraged Willow to book them all on a flight to London just the same.

They had been in Cleveland at that point, having made their way there by way of LA.

After all, a Hellmouth always needs a guardian…

This one had twenty.

No one knew what else to do with the girls who'd fought beside Buffy and Faith in the battle with The First. Most of them felt that they had seen too much to go home again.

They felt their calling, the need.

They required guidance, to be sent where that need was greatest.

They needed _direction_, something Buffy felt she was greatly lacking in providing at the moment.

Faith wasn't handling the situation much better, nor was Giles.

There were just so _many _of them, not just on the Cleveland Hellmouth, but _everywhere_.

It was daunting just how many girls there were out there, just waiting to be found.

Daunting how many of those girls might die if they weren't found in time.

And so the decision was made. A new Watcher's Council would be started. And until there were enough Watchers to be sent to the girls, the girls would come to the Watchers.

A small contingent of the next-generation Sunnydale Slayers was to stay in Cleveland with Kennedy and Robin Wood. The rest, those that wanted to, would go home to their families, at least until Giles, Buffy and the gang had something up and running in England.

The gang, which included Giles, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Faith and Dawn, went to London to see what they could salvage of the old Council. This meant meetings with the remaining Watchers and finding a proper building, not only to house the Watchers, but where they could also train the slayers.

Buffy and Faith had decided that they should call the place 'B's School for the Maladjusted…'

Willow thought they were kidding…

_Hoped _they were kidding….

She, Xander, Dawn and Giles would just sit there, shaking their heads as the two slayers shook with laughter at the very thought of the name. What else could they do?

They certainly couldn't say no! That would only guarantee having to explain that name to some very confused parents…

In a way it was nice to see the two of them getting along so well… at least when it wasn't terrifying.

The two slayers had found common ground during the fight against The First and had formed a relationship that was almost sister-like. Of course, they both knew that it was just another facet of the relationship that they'd always had. Even when they'd been on different sides, they'd been connected by something larger than themselves. Something that would always connect them…

The Scoobies had been making good progress in London, working out the major kinks, taking the first steps towards getting the council up and running.

Their luck had apparently changed. They had found a good twenty Watchers since their arrival in London. More continued to trickle in every day, some of them bringing along new slayers.

A building big enough for all of them had been amazingly easy to find. Using the Council's more than adequate funds, they had bought a large country estate not far from London.

It was no surprise to anyone when a week into their visit, claiming boredom, Buffy and Faith had insisted on starting to patrol the streets of London. They were sure that there had to be all natures of oogly-booglies out there somewhere, and London was known to be a hotspot for vampires.

The patrols had gone normally enough for about a week… but then, nothing could ever _remain _normal when the Scooby gang is involved…

Prologue, Part Two: Determination

Harry Potter had spent the last few weeks of his fifth year at Hogwarts brooding. There was no other word to describe it. Granted, he had reason to brood. Having Sirius die and the weight of the Wizarding World dropped on his shoulders within hours of each other had caused… quite the strain.

And so he brooded.

His conversations consisted mainly of monosyllabic replies as he tried to decide exactly what, if anything, to tell his friends.

It wasn't an easy decision. That bullseye on his back was a hell of a lot bigger than any of them had ever suspected. He didn't want to put them in any more danger by having them find out why that was.

And he was scared. Scared that they'd find out that he was to become either a murderer or the murdered… and that that knowledge would prompt them to turn their backs on him.

Beyond that, he was just scared in general.

He had this huge destiny, this great thing that only he could do.

And he didn't feel even remotely prepared for it.

He knew that Dumbledore and his professors had spent the past five years preparing him for… something. He'd just never known what it was that he was working towards.

Now he did. And none of the things that he'd done in the past made him feel even remotely prepared for what was to come.

For what could he do, really? A few lucky turns against Voldemort didn't mean that he could defeat him in an all out battle. Not when there weren't ghosts, portkeys or Headmasters involved directly in the fight.

He was, to use a muggle phrase, a sitting duck.

That knowledge had only managed to make the brooding worse.

Even cursing Malfoy into a quivering mass of… something on the train home hadn't managed to lessen his funk.

It wasn't until he had arrived at the Dursleys that something happened to change his attitude.

It was a simple event really. Nothing too momentous.

An offhand comment, meant to harass.

_"What are **you **going to do about it?"_

The context from which it came had no real bearing on his reaction. It was the words themselves.

Indeed, what _was _he going to do about it? About anything? About the way that people looked at him, treated him, _protected _him? About the battle that was without doubt coming?

The answer was as simple as it was complex.

He was going to fight…

And he was going to win.

He just had to figure out _how_.

In order to fight, in order to _win_, he had to prepare himself. Take the battle into his own hands, so to speak.

And that was exactly what he decided to do.

Homework was set aside. Quills and parchment were instead used for setting up the first stages of his battle plan… actually, in all honesty, it was more of a _preparation _plan at the moment… battle plan just sounded more… impressive.

Small steps, but sometimes the smallest of steps can be the most important.

Harry took to visiting Arabella Figg almost daily, questioning her 'innocently', yet relentlessly. Through her, he found out many important details about members of The Order, about the people who watched him and the house.

He'd only been home a week the first time that he snuck out of the house in order to make a trip to London. The invisibility cloak was invaluable in this. So was knowing that Moody was nowhere in the vicinity (see above, conversations with Arabella…). He was out and back with no one, not the Dursleys, not The Order, being aware that he had gone.

It was a somewhat heady feeling. One that calmed a bit after the third and fourth trip.

He managed to glamour his way into renting a flat in London during that first trip. The lease listed his name as Samuel Blackstone, his occupation as accountant. The subsequent trips were used for stocking the flat with things that he might need in the future.

It was a place all his own. A hideaway of sorts. A safehaven.

Separate from The Order, from the Dursleys, from his friends.

He didn't know if he would ever need it.

He just felt that it was best to have such a place, just in case.

It turned out that he was right, only he ended up needing it far earlier than he ever could have imagined.

That time came on his fifth trip to London, three weeks into the summer holidays. It's strange really, how things work out…


	2. Chapter One

Hello All!

Here is the next chapter. It is a full twenty pages of meetings, explanations and a bit of the slayage… and man am I exhausted! LOL!

Previous disclaimer applies, I don't own anything.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!

Thank you for the replies Anne, Technocratic Sith Lord, LL, Mama T, Susan, IsiwaruOfCkaloatia, TJ6, and Mysticallove! I'm glad that you enjoyed the prologue! I hope that you like the first chapter as well. Thanks again!

On with the story! Please let me know what you think!

Snowie

Chapter One

Buffy and Faith banged their way through the double doors into the library of the new Watcher's Council. It was the new command central of the Scooby gang and oddly enough, sometimes reminded them of the old school library… times like this one.

Giles, Willow, Xander and Dawn were sitting at various spots around the large table in the center of the room. Each of them had a large pile of books in front of them. They were all studying something intently, with matching serious expressions on their faces.

All four of them looked up as the slayers made their way noisily into the room. Three looks were reproachful, only one seemed really happy to see them.

"Buffy! Faith!" Xander exclaimed happily, before mouthing, '_Help me!_'

"Whoa!" Buffy said, momentarily ignoring Xander's plea. "Why are we in research mode?"

Things had been very quiet on the 'big bad' side of things lately. Sure, there were just as many lower demons and vampires about causing havoc… but that was just what demons did. The 'big bads', however, had seemed to go on sabbatical for a while after Buffy, Faith, Spike, Willow and the gang of slayers had taken down The First.

Giles cleared his throat. "I have been receiving some vague reports about missing girls ever since we got here. At first I was under the impression that it was a human problem, therefore beyond our jurisdiction. However, that opinion has changed with this latest report." He held up a sheet of paper. "The last in a series of five disappearances. She was found last night, horribly beaten and violated. Willow broke into the coroner's computer, and the autopsy report lists cause of death as unknown… And in reading over the report, it is clear that the coroner can find nothing that points to cause of death. Her heart seems to have just… stopped."

"So you're thinking evil beastie?"

"Or some kind of mystical death…"

"So evil… War…" Buffy paused, the word she was looking for just not coming to her. Damn! She hated it when that happened! "Uh, War-thingies… you know, male witches?"

"Warlocks," Giles supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, that," Buffy said.

"Certainly a likely possibility," Giles said.

"So Wills is on patrol with us tonight," Buffy said.

"Good deal," Faith said with a nod. "Never know when you might need some white witch mojo."

"Ooh! Can I go?" Dawn asked excitedly.

"Um, not this time Dawn," Buffy said. "Let us scout this out a bit first, okay?""

Dawn looked disappointed, but reluctantly agreed. "See what else you can find," Buffy said, nodding to the stuff on the table. "Willow, Faith and I will map out our search area based on the disappearances and where the bodies were discovered."

"Good," Giles said turning his attention back to his book only to look up again as Xander stood. "Where are you going?"

"Donuts, G-man… Wait; can you get donuts in England? Or do I have to go get scones?" Xander shrugged. "Either way, I am snackage bound… It's what I do."

"Oh, quite," Giles said. "And don't call me that."

"Like that'll happen," Xander said as he made his way out the library doors. "You know you love it."

Giles sighed as he looked back at his book. "Well, yes," he said with an exasperated sigh, ignoring the giggles that erupted around him. Yes, he definitely needed to meet some people closer to his own age. This was getting simply ridiculous.

**Privet Drive…**

Harry rolled his eyes at the sound of his cousin thumping down the stairs and out of the house. Dudley'd had another row with his parents. It had been happening a lot this summer. Harry wasn't quite sure what had prompted this change in household dynamics, but he was eternally grateful. They paid a heck of a lot less attention to him when they were all worried about what Dudley might be doing.

Like now, he didn't have to worry that they'd be all in his face about how he was spending his summer on spellwork… or at least, researching spells. He wasn't about to be dragged into The Ministry again for underage use of magic… Not without a very good reason, anyway.

Harry had spent this day in particular going through books of highly advanced spells and wards… and had found to his amazement that he _knew _some of them. Knew them in the way that he knew how to fly. Knew them in the way he knew his own reflection.

And that knowledge sent a shiver of dread up his spine. Because of _how _he must have come to know them.

_ The same way that he had come to understand snake speech._

That knowledge could only be there because of Voldemort.

Of course, there were a lot of spells in the book that he couldn't do to save his life… Spells that he was sure that Voldemort had probably used on more than one occasion.

So the question was, why these spells? Why the _Memoriae_, the _Cruciatus_, the _Imperius _and heaven help him, _Avada Kedavra_? And it didn't end there… While he had tried the _Cruciatus_ in the past without it working… he somehow knew that if he tried it now, it would work easily. Knew somehow that _all _of them would work easily.

There was only one explanation that he could think of.

These were spells that Voldemort had used recently.

The connection was stronger… and the very thought of that was terrifying.

Harry was suddenly overwhelmed by a burning desire to destroy that connection forever. He _needed _it to be destroyed, more than he had ever needed anything. That was the only way that he would ever have peace of mind.

"Reckon I'd better start trying to learn Occlumency on my own," he muttered bitterly to himself. For there was no one around to teach him, and he had no way of knowing when he would be able to leave the Dursley's and rejoin the Wizarding world.

"Time to get some more books…"

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of Hedwig alighting on his windowsill. She hooted softly at him and he smiled as he got to his feet and went over to her. He ruffled her feathers gently and then untied the piece of parchment from her proffered leg. "Thank you Hedwig," He said softly. "Why don't you have a bite and a rest while I read this and get a reply ready?"

Hedwig hooted in agreement and flew over to her perch. She ate some owl treats and drank some water before tucking her head under her wing for a snooze.

Harry opened the letter and sighed. "Blah, blah blippety blah," he muttered softly to himself. So what else was new?

Ron and Hermione's letters had been almost identical to the ones that they'd written him last year. Lot's of pleasantries and 'how are you's?' but little information. Lupin's had been just about the same, though he'd spent a lot more time on the 'how are you's?' than he did on the pleasantries.

Only this year, Harry found that he didn't care quite so much.

Where had being angry gotten him anyway?

He knew where. It had made him miserable and Sirius dead.

He shrugged slightly and jotted down a quick note consisting mainly of 'I'm fine, how are you?' and 'summer's been okay, can't wait to see you again'. Finished quickly, he folded it up, ready to send it as soon as Hedwig felt up to it.

Frankly, he had other things that he needed to worry about… His own secrets to keep this year.

Besides, he knew very well how unsafe it was to send things by owl post. You could never know who might intercept it.

Harry sighed and turned his attention back to his book.

_"And miles to go…"_

**London, 7 PM…**

They had found trouble almost as soon as they had made their way into London. A little back alley had been teaming with large, ugly demons who seemed quite intent on murder and mayhem.

Buffy and Faith had waded in gamely, slicing and dicing with practiced ease. Willow had made her way to a sidewall, content to watch until she was needed.

She knew that she wasn't likely to be necessary. Buffy and Faith were making short order of the demons, who for all their size, didn't seem to have much going for them when it came to fighting slayers.

It was all over in a matter of minutes.

"Oh ick! Squishy!" Buffy exclaimed as a rain of demon guts covered her. "What the hell was that?"

Faith had been looking around as her sister slayer took down the last demon. "A damned distraction, that's what!" She exclaimed, cursing the 100 yards or so that now separated them from Willow.

"What?" Buffy said, spinning around.

A group of people in dark cloaks was surrounding Willow. Their heads were hooded and their faces were masked. Willow had managed to send a few of them tumbling, but there were far too many of them. One of them pointed a long wooden stick at her and yelled something. A red light shot from his wand and struck her in the chest. She fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

"They're hurting her!" Buffy yelled, charging forward.

"Like hell!" Faith exclaimed, joining Buffy in her mad dash to defend the redheaded witch.

They were there before the group had a chance to turn and face them. They made their way through the crowd, knocking people aside in their haste.

Willow was struggling to her feet even as the same man sent another jet of light her way… And this time when she fell, she didn't move.

Buffy ducked a stream of light as she fought desperately to reach her friend's side. "Willow!" She cried desperately. She grabbed the cloaked figure next to her and pulled him in front of her as another shaft of light came her way. He fell to the ground in a heap. She grabbed another one and threw him at the group that was making its way towards her, sending them all tumbling to the ground.

Faith was using similar methods, but there were just so many of them. They watched helplessly as a man made his way over to the fallen witch.

"Touch her and die!" Faith hissed, throwing another person out of her way.

He didn't seem inclined to believe her.

"Aurors! Aurors are coming!"

The sound of muffled curses filled the alley and the men who had been attacking Faith and Buffy turned away, suddenly disappearing from the alley.

The man who had been about to grab Willow looked at the two Slayers now racing, unimpeded, towards him. "This isn't over!" He snarled darkly. "He desires her, so he shall have her!" Then, with a loud pop, he disappeared.

"What the hell?" Faith exclaimed as another series of pops filled the alleyway, the rest of the people in masks disappearing and a large group of people in robes appearing.

"In the name of Cornelius Fudge and The Ministry of Magic I order you to cease and desist!" The words came from the man who was standing closest to them. Another of them had quickly knelt by Willow's side and seemed to be checking her over for injuries.

They were all holding long, pointed sticks.

And none of them looked all that friendly.

"Hey!" Buffy exclaimed, pushing her way over to the man who was crouched near her friend. "What are you doing?"

Kingsley looked up at the young woman in surprise. "I'm just checking to make sure she's all right miss… That was quite the curse she was hit with."

"Oh," Buffy said. "Well, that's all right then…"

The man who had first spoken continued a very rehearsed sounding spiel. "You are to be remanded into custody while your status is determined. This matter shall be investigated promptly and without prejudice. Once the facts are determined you will face any and all charges that are warranted. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah," Faith said, stalking up to him. "Who the hell are you and why the hell should we go _anywhere _with you?"

"Faith!" Buffy exclaimed, knowing that the other slayer wasn't helping the situation any… Though she was inclined to agree with her.

The man, however just started sputtering indignantly and Faith ignored her. Buffy sighed as her sister slayer continued to rail at him angrily.

"You'd better explain yourself fast mister, cause we don't have a hell of a lot of patience left!"

That did it. The man turned purple with anger. "I will not be threatened by a muggle!" He exclaimed, reaching out a hand to grab her. "Come along now!"

"Take your filthy hands off me!" Faith exclaimed, quickly breaking his hold and throwing him across the alley.

Another Auror had tried to grab Buffy at the same time, with similar results… only he didn't get off quite so easily. Buffy looked down at the man and dropped his now useless wand next to him. "Next time I break something you _really _can't afford to lose!" She snarled. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Aurors Sampson and Willard! Stand down! We do _not _attack muggles!" The voice came from a woman with the pinkest hair that any of them had ever seen. She looked over the scene before her and sighed with annoyance. "Apparently finesse is something that you two sorely lack. Let me handle this, will you?"

The two Aurors shot reproachful looks first at Buffy and Faith and then at the witch before nodding their consent and leaving.

"Sorry about that," The woman said. She held out her hand. "Auror Tonks. Nice to meet you both!"

Faith and Buffy exchanged a look. Odd, but not at all threatening. They both shrugged. When in Rome… or England as the case may be… They each shook her hand.

"Faith."

"Buffy."

"Good," Tonks said, nodding decisively. "Now, this is a delicate situation… Very delicate. You were attacked by a large group of men in masks, correct?" The slayers exchanged another look and then nodded. "Any idea what they were after?"

"Nope," Buffy said, shaking her head. She wasn't about to tell these wand-waving nutjobs that the other wand-waving nutjobs had been after her Willow.

Tonks studied the young woman carefully. Oh, she knew all right. She just wasn't about to tell them… No trust, not that Tonks blamed her. Damn, she wished Dumbledore were here.

"You're not witches, are you?" Tonks asked. Faith and Buffy exchanged another look. This conversation was going from weird to, well, weirder. "No, I didn't think so." But they had thrown grown men around like they were two-year olds… Not that she wanted to think about anyone throwing around two-year olds… Tonks shook her head. _Not _the thing to be concentrating on now…

Something from Defense Against the Dark Arts began tickling at the back of her mind. Nighttime, young girls, incredible strength and agility. Fighting… Fighting the darkness…

"But there's only supposed to be one…" She whispered softly.

Buffy and Faith exchanged yet another look, this one tinged with panic.

"Uh, one what?" Buffy asked.

"Vampire Slayer," Tonks said. They were fidgeting. She couldn't be right, could she? "How?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "There was this whole thing where I died."

"Oh," Tonks said. Yeah, now did not seem like the time to be exploring that statement further. "And her?" She asked, pointing to Willow, whom Kingsley Shacklebolt had just revived. He had been listening silently to the conversation, not wanted to interrupt the flow of information.

"Willow," Buffy exclaimed, dropping to her knees beside her friend. "Are you all right?"

"Woozy-like," Willow said softly. "Damn, what the hell was that they hit me with…? And hello! Rude much!"

"Death Eaters are not known for their manners," Tonks said quietly.

"Okay, so not liking the sounds of that name," Faith said with a scowl.

"Death Eaters?" Willow questioned. She sighed rather loudly. "Why us? You'd think that closing the Hellmouth would prompt The Powers to give us a little down time, but _no_, we have to face _Death Eaters_?"

Tonks gaped at her for a second. "Closing the… _You _closed the Hellmouth? You… That spell last month! It was _you_!"

"Uh…" Willow started, looking like she was about to panic.

"Don't worry," Tonks said, stopping her own babble. "We can't talk about this now." She looked around nervously and was relieved that everyone but Kingsley was still out of hearing range. These could be some great allies, but she couldn't very well take them into custody… Vampire Slayers! "Due to Wizarding law in regards to the Vampire Slayers and all those connected to them, you are all to be released without hindrance. I'm sorry for any inconvenience or discomfort that any of us have caused you."

"Whoa! That's it?" Faith asked, surprised by the sudden turn in conversation. They had just been getting to the interesting stuff!

"You're not going to explain about these Death Eater guys and what they want with us?" Buffy asked. She huffed softly. Annoying, much!

Tonks looked around her again before she spoke, lowering her voice. "The Ministry is in shambles right now. The best way to fight this evil is _not _through official channels… And I am here in my _official _capacity at the moment. Give me a way to reach you and I will ensure that everything is explained!"

Buffy nodded, certain things suddenly making more sense. Yeah, she'd never had much luck with official channels herself. "Willow?"

Willow pulled a small business card from her pocket and handed it to Tonks. "That's our address and phone number. You can reach us there."

Tonks nodded and then turned to face the other Aurors in the alley. Her voice rang through the alleyway. "They are to leave now without hindrance as is the decree of Wizarding law, article 18-24, Vampire Slayers and their kith and kin." The Aurors looked surprised at this statement, but none of them protested. They weren't about to anger a Vampire Slayer… at least not without a hell of a lot more backup than they had at the moment.

Tonks turned and nodded to the Slayers and Willow that they could leave. The three looked at each other and then quickly made their way out of the alley, the two slayers supporting Willow between them.

Kingsley stood and made his way to Tonks' side. "I'll cover for you," he whispered. "Go find Dumbledore."

Tonks nodded and disapparated from the alley. "All right everyone," Kingsley said, taking charge. "Let's get this place cleaned up! Sampson, go inform The Ministry that there was an attack on the Slayer by Death Eaters."

"Where's Tonks off too?" Willard asked suspiciously.

"To check with the American Ministry that the girls are on the up and up," Kingsley lied blithely. "Now move quickly! We don't want any muggles to stumble on this!"

**The Watcher's Council…**

"Giles!" Buffy screamed as she banged through the door into the entryway of the Watcher's Council. "Giles! Xander!"

"Honestly Buffy, I'm fine," Willow said, though she looked a little green. "Oh, just tell the room to stop spinning…"

Faith and Buffy lowered her gently into a sitting position as Giles, Xander and Dawn charged into the entryway.

"Dear lord," Giles exclaimed, kneeling next to Willow. "What happened?"

"Attacked by a very annoying group of hooded and masked people with sharp little sticks," Buffy said. "They threw spells at us. I didn't like them much."

Giles looked at them in shock. "What did they want?"

Buffy looked over at Willow pointedly.

"Surely not!"

"Seemed that way to me," Faith said, moving to the side so that Dawn could kneel on Willow's other side. "They set up this nice little demon trap to separate me and B from Red. Then they started shooting little streams of light at her. One of them knocked her out. They were about to take her when _another _group of annoying people with sharp little sticks showed up and scared them off. Didn't like _them _much either."

"Except for that Tonks woman," Buffy said. "She was alright. She made the grabby ones go away before we had to do any serious damage. Then she said something about Death Eaters and how he best way to fight this evil was not through official channels… I don't know, it was all very confusing. We gave her the address and she said she'd come by and explain things…"

"They're coming here?" Xander exclaimed. "Why did you tell them to come here?"

"Well, we have to figure out what's going on," Buffy said. "We need to know who's after Willow in order to stop them! Besides, the masked ones felt evil, Tonks did not."

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…**

Dumbledore looked up in bemusement as a bright pink head appeared in his office fireplace. The head was soon followed by the remainder of a young witch. She got to her feet and beat at her robes, knocking some of the soot from them. "Wotcher Professor Dumbledore," she said brightly.

"Why hello, Auror Tonks," Dumbledore said. "I must say that I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Well, there's been a bit of an incident, sir," Tonks said. "Some Death Eaters attacked some muggles in London."

"Oh dear," Dumbledore said, getting to his feet. "I trust that no one was hurt."

"Well, I imagine that the Death Eaters didn't come out of it so well," Tonks said, thinking back to the way the two slayers had tossed about Sampson and Willard.

"Oh really?" Dumbledore said, raising his eyebrows.

"Slayers," Tonks said.

"Slayers?" Dumbledore questioned. "Plural?"

"There was this whole thing where one of them died… I didn't quite understand it sir and it didn't seem to be the right time to ask."

"Quite right," Dumbledore said. "Please continue."

"Well, it seems that it wasn't the Slayers they were after. I'd bet good money it was the witch. Wiccan, sir. Do you remember the incident on the Sunnydale Hellmouth last month?"

"The collapse, you mean? Why yes, of course I remember. The magical emanations from that place… Still haven't figured out what spell the witch cast, have you?"

Tonks shook her head. "But tonight, I think I met the witch that cast it."

"And you didn't question her?" Dumbledore asked, surprised. Tonks wasn't officially on the case of the Sunnydale collapse, it was an American problem after all, but she had become somewhat obsessed with finding out what had happened.

Tonks shook her head again. "Couldn't. She's under the protection of the Vampire Slayers."

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "As you had said. So why are you here, Tonks? They were released, were they not?"

"Of course!" Tonks exclaimed. "But with Death Eaters after them and their strength… They'd be grand allies, don't you think?"

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "Do they seem open to the possibility?"

"I told them that we'd come see them and explain things," Tonks said. "That official channels were a bit… problematic at the moment. They gave me this." She held out the card to Dumbledore. "So that we could find them."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Anything else that I need before we go meet them?"

Tonks thought for a moment. "Not that I can think of. I don't know much more about them."

Dumbledore nodded and picked up an object from his desk. He waved his wand over it. "_Portus!_" Tonks looked at him in surprise. "Saves time," he said, by way of explanation. "Shall we?" Tonks nodded and the two of them grasped the portkey and were transported instantly to the entryway of The Watcher's Council.

**The Watcher's Council…**

Everyone was huddled around Willow, arguing in hushed voices when Buffy and Faith suddenly spun around, dropping into fighting stances. There were two people in the hallway that hadn't been there moments before… and they seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

"Well, hello!" Dumbledore said with a bright smile, ignoring the fact that two of the people he was now faced with seemed about to attack him. "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He held out his hand to them.

"Huh?" Buffy said, looking confused. "Oh Tonks!" She exclaimed, catching sight of the young woman.

"Hullo Buffy," Tonks said with a slight wave. She nodded towards Dumbledore.

"What?" Buffy said, then noticed that the old man was still holding his hand out in greeting. "Right," she said, holding her own hand out and shaking his. He repeated the process with the rest of the Scooby gang. They all shook his hand readily, giving their names as they did so… confusion clear on their faces.

"I do say that things like that will take a bit of getting used to," Giles said. "The whole, uh… appearing out of nowhere thing… Quite disturbing actually."

"I do apologize," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Tonks told me the story and I thought that it was best to make haste. There is much to be discussed."

"You know who those people were?" Dawn asked. "The ones that attacked Willow?"

"Yes, indeed I do," Dumbledore said gravely. "They are the dark cloud that is hanging over the Wizarding Community."

"Ah, Wizarding community?" Xander asked.

"Yes, it is a community that exists quite separate from your own, where magic is a way of life. We are now involved in a great struggle to prevent a Dark Lord from taking over the Wizarding World… and your world as well."

"So what are we waiting for?" Buffy asked. "Point me to him. I slay, we party."

Dumbledore laughed slightly. He liked this girl. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. This evil is not for you, any of you, to defeat. There is only one…" Dumbledore paused, shaking himself out of his thoughts. He had almost said too much. "Tonks and I are part of a secret organization dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort, as he is called. I was hoping that you would join us for a meeting? I do tire of telling the whole story myself… And I'm sure that The Order would delight in the chance to meet you all. Quite the legend in these parts, the Slayer is."

Buffy looked at the others. So sudden, but at the same time she trusted this guy. He just had that feeling about him…

"I vote we go," Faith said.

"Well I don't," Xander said darkly.

"Oh Xander, zip it," Willow said, getting to her feet. "He's not evil."

"Well, how do you know?" Xander asked petulantly.

"I, unlike you, can sense these things," Willow said, smirking at her best friend. "I think it's a good idea to go. Giles?"

"All right," Giles said uncertainly. "If you're sure."

"B?" Faith asked.

Buffy sighed. "Why not? I don't think that I've had quite enough excitement for the night."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed. He paused for a moment, something worrisome occurring to him. "However, I do have one final question for you all… How do you feel on the subject of werewolves?"

Buffy looked at him suspiciously. Well that was random… "What do you mean?"

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "Let me rephrase. On the subject of _slaying _werewolves?"

"Well, they're people," Buffy said. "We know that they can't control what they become… And that's what tranquillizer guns are for."

Dumbledore turned to Faith and she held up her hands. "Hey, as long as they don't embrace the wolf and kill people for fun, I'm five by five."

Dumbledore looked puzzled, Giles clarified. "The slayers are both accepting of werewolves as long as they take the proper precautions when dealing with their affliction."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very good. You will be meeting Remus Lupin, who is a werewolf, which is why I asked the question. I couldn't very well have anyone slaying a member of The Order, now could I?" He held out a bag of sweets. "Lemon drop?"

"Again with the huh?" Buffy asked.

"He just likes lemon drops," Tonks said, waving her hand dismissively. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Buffy said.

"Um, Buff, you might want to rethink that," Xander said, studying the petite slayer. "You've got demon guts on you."

"Damn," Buffy said, looking down at herself. "And I liked this shirt too…" She looked at Dumbledore and Tonks. "Five minutes." She then turned and ran up the stairs, heading for her apartment.

Dumbledore chuckled merrily. "Quite the occupational hazard, I imagine. Demon guts."

Faith snorted. "And blood and dust and brains…"

"That's quite enough, Faith," Giles said reproachfully.

Faith just grinned and started humming, 'We're off to see the Wizard,' under her breath. Giles sighed softly and ignored her. It was fast becoming his favorite course of action…

**Grimmauld Place…**

Ron and Hermione were sitting in Hermione and Ginny's bedroom. They had just received Harry's reply from Hedwig and had separated themselves from Ron's siblings in order to read it.

Hermione finished reading the letter and handed it to Ron, a somewhat concerned look on her face.

Ron scanned it quickly, concern shading his face for a moment. Then something occurred to him. "You know what, Hermione? I reckon Harry's up to something!"

"What do you mean?" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing the letter back from Ron. Had she missed something? Nope, it was exactly how it was the first time she'd read it. "There's nothing in the that gives the impression that he's up to _anything_!"

"That's just it!" Ron said. "This is Harry we're talking about! Hotheaded, impatient Harry who just lost someone very close to him… and there are no demands for information. No pleas for us to let him know when he's coming here. I'm telling you, there's something going on!"

Hermione had paled as Ron's words had begun to make more and more sense. "Oh, Ron, you don't suppose he'd do anything stupid, do you? I mean, and The Order's watching him, right?"

"Well, yeah," Ron said, not sounding too convincing… or too convinced. "I don't know…"

He stopped as one of the twins burst into the room. "Dumbledore's back and he's brought some people with him!"

Ron and Hermione were on their feet instantly. It wasn't often that Dumbledore was around now and for him to have brought guests…

They hurried out of the room and joined the twins and Ginny on the landing just as Dumbledore and Tonks led the guests into the entryway. He noticed the group on the stairs immediately

"Ah, excellent!" He said. "Ron, Hermione and Ginny! Fred and George! I would be most appreciative if you could entertain our guests for a moment while I check with Molly about dinner!"

"Sure professor!" Hermione said. The group of five made their way down the stairs to join the group in the hall.

"I do believe that the parlor is free," Dumbledore said, indicating that they should go ahead. "I trust that you are all more than capable of handling introductions on your own."

They all nodded and made their way into the parlor. The two groups looked at each other for a while before Hermione took it upon herself to speak.

"Well, I'm Hermione Granger. The twins are Fred and George Weasley and that's Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley." Each one nodded or waved as their name was said.

"Well, I'm Dawn Summers," Dawn said, bouncing slightly on her feet. "And it was just the coolest thing ever how the house appeared when that professor guy told us its name…" She stopped suddenly as she felt all eyes on her. "And I'll just stop with the babbling now…"

Buffy laughed. "I'm Dawn's sister, Buffy," she said. "And the rest of the group is Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles (you can just call him Giles) and Faith." She pointed to each in turn, ignoring Giles' muttering about 'oh, yes, never can let me escape that, not even when I'm back home in England…'

"So all of you live here?" Dawn asked. "That is so cool… Um, _why _do you all live here?"

Ron laughed and Hermione glared at him. 'What?" He mouthed innocently.

"For protection mainly," Ginny said, answering the girl's question. "We all have connections to people or family that make us targets. My parents. Harry."

"Harry?" Willow asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "He'll be coming to stay here sometime around the end of the month." She studied the group carefully for their reaction.

"Harry?" Buffy asked repeating Willow's question.

"Harry Potter," Hermione clarified.

"Oh," Buffy said. She said the name like it was supposed to mean something. "And who's he?"

Hermione watched the group carefully for any sign that they recognized Harry's name, but not one of them seemed to have any idea who he was. That was very interesting… and informative.

"You don't know who Harry is?" Ron asked, his voice shocked.

"You're muggles," Hermione said, a puzzled expression on her face. "But what help does Dumbledore think that he's going to get from _American muggles_?"

"Wait a minute," Faith said, annoyed at the direction the conversation was going. The girl was obviously fishing for information and being less than upfront about that fact. "What the hell is a muggle? And why does us not knowing who Harry Potter is automatically make us one of these mug things?"

"Muggle is what the Wizarding world calls non wizarding folk," Hermione said. "It's not an insult, I promise!"

"And if you don't know who Harry Potter is, then you're not from a Wizarding community," Ron said, answering the rest of her question. "Everyone in the Wizarding world knows who Harry is. I mean, it's like… like…" He paused, at a loss for a proper analogy. "Oy, Hermione! I need a muggle reference here!"

Hermione sighed, shaking her head at Ron. "It would be like someone saying that Brad Pitt or… or Tom Cruise…"

"Ooh, Orlando Bloom!" Dawn exclaimed. "Can it be Orlando Bloom?"

Hermione looked at the girl with surprise and uncertainty but nodded. "Um, sure." She shook her head and continued her thought. "Like someone saying _Orlando Bloom _was coming to dinner and having no one react. Love them or hate them, you know who they are and you're going to say something."

"So Harry's some kind of movie star?" Faith asked. "Cool."

Hermione laughed. "No. He's just _that _famous. By the age of two he was as famous in the Wizarding world as any actor or public figure in the muggle world." She paused for a moment, then shrugged. "He's the Boy-Who-Lived."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "He's famous for living?" Interesting…

"Hermione, please stop baiting them for information and show them into the dining room."

Hermione started with embarrassment as Molly Weasley's annoyed voice interrupted them. "Sorry," she said softly, flushing slightly. "I was just curious."

"Professor Dumbledore will explain it all at dinner," Molly said crossly. And that was her final word on the subject.

"Come with us?" Hermione said, motioning for the Scooby gang to follow them into the dining room.

**Kitchen…**

"Dumbledore, do you believe that it was quite wise bringing them here?" It had been a long time since Dumbledore had seen Snape quite so incensed… "We know nothing about these people! Are you sure they're to be trusted?"

"Of course they're to be trusted, Severus! We are speaking of the Vampire Slayers and their friends! And they were attacked for a reason! Voldemort wants Willow Rosenberg. It is up to us to ensure that he doesn't get her!"

"Slayers? Vampire slayers? As in plural? Well there you have it! Impossible!"

"As Buffy, the elder of the two slayers, so quaintly informed me on the way here, 'there was this whole thing where she died.'"

"Oh," Severus said. Well that did explain some things…

"All I ask is that you sit down at a table with them. Listen to their story. Help us tell ours."

Snape was quiet for a moment and then nodded his head in consent.

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Come along Severus." He led the way into the dining room, a grumbling Snape trailing after him.

"Ah good, everyone is here," Dumbledore said as he took his place at the table. "First, I want to introduce our guests properly. Faith and Buffy are Vampire Slayers. Mr. Giles is their Watcher. Dawn is Buffy's younger sister. Willow is a wandless witch and Xander is…" Dumbledore paused, he hadn't quite gotten the story on who Xander was.

"Carpenter and best friend extraordinaire," Xander supplied helpfully with a crisp salute. "I fix things."

Dumbledore caught the double meaning to that, though no one else seemed to. "Indeed," he said with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "And this," he said, motioning to the table. "Is The Order of the Phoenix… plus the children of The Order of the Phoenix. Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why we're here. We are here to share our story with these fine warriors and ask for their assistance in our fight. At the same time, we are to offer our assistance in the new problem that they are facing. Any questions?" A number of people began speaking at once, but Dumbledore ignored them. "Good," he said. "I shall begin. It all started when a Dark Wizard by the name of Voldemort began to gain power and support…"

The stories and explanations lasted far longer than the food. And once everyone was done and all the questions had been answered as best as was possible, a thick silence fell over the group.

Xander was the first one to put the whole thing into words.

"Wow," he said simply.

"You're telling me!" Buffy said. "So what do you think we can do for you, professor? And what can you do for us?"

"Fight with us," Dumbledore said. "And we will give you, Willow especially, all the protection that we can. He will keep coming until he finds her, you see. There is no safe place, not in London, not in America. With us, you can be provided with a certain amount of cloaking. We will hide you all, so to speak."

"Whoa!" Faith exclaimed. "We all have to hide? Why do we all have to hide?"

"I can't just hide out," Buffy said. "I have too much to do! Watchers and Slayers… Besides, he's just after Willow, right? We'll hide her." She looked over at Willow, mouthing 'Sorry Wills.'

Willow just shrugged. It was the way Buffy had to do things. She understood that. You couldn't just hide away when you were a mystical warrior.

"And when he can't find her? What do you think that he will do then? How much of an impetus would it take for her to turn to the dark magics again, Miss. Summers? Your life? Your sister's? Miss Faith's? Mr. Giles'? Xander's? All of them? Or only one?"

"Okay, so you have a point," Buffy said wincing. "But what do you propose we do in the meantime?"

"Lay low for now, fight with us. I'm sure that a fitting solution will present itself in time. And you don't have to stop your activities at The Watcher's Council. You will just have to be far more careful. I would, however, suggest that Willow stay here until a suitable alternative presents itself."

Well, that didn't sound too bad… but it wasn't really her decision to make. "Willow?" Buffy asked, looking over at her friend.

"I'll stay," Willow said. "I don't want to put you guys in any danger."

"Well, if she stays, then I'm staying," Xander said.

"Me too!" Dawn said.

"Faith, Buffy, I believe that you should stay as well," Giles said somberly. "I will keep you advised of what's happening at The Council. Learn what you can from them and about this Dark Lord of theirs. The battle we must face is here." He looked at Buffy pleadingly. "Do this, Buffy. It is the safest way for all of you."

Buffy and Faith looked at each other uncertainly, but then nodded their consent.

"Good," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "It's all decided. Anyone for some desert?"


	3. Chapter Two

Hello all! Here is Chapter Two!

Before getting down to business, I thought that I'd clear some things up that I'd forgotten to mention.

**1. **Leaving Robin and Kennedy is Cleveland was meaningful. Their relationships with Faith and Willow respectively are over. Didn't care much for the Robin/Faith pairing (she needs a guy of her own, not someone who showed interest if Buffy first…) and I happened to pretty much hate Kennedy, so she's history.

**2. **Ages. I always thought that Faith was about 15 when she arrived in Sunnydale, so I'm making her nineteen in this fic. Buffy, Xander and Willow are 22. Dawn is seventeen as are Fred and George. Harry, Ron and Hermione are 15/16 (Harry being within a month of his birthday at this point in the story) Ginny is 15. I think that's all the ages that will have a bearing at this point…

**3. **Pairings. To be perfectly honest, I haven't completely decided on all of them yet. Snape is not being paired with anyone, that is for sure. Ron and Hermione are a definite, as I said before. Ginny may be paired with a certain Slytherin Spy (yes, he's revealed in this chapter) at least for a little while;)

I'm actually leaning towards a Dawn/Fred pairing at the moment…

Someone on TTH mentioned Harry/Faith… and I gotta tell you, I'm very interested in trying that one out… It seems like it would be hellafun!

As for Buffy, well, there's a pairing that I've always wished they had explored on the show… but I'm kind of nervous about attempting it… Buffy/Xander. Now, that would be way in the future and there are bound to be flirtations for both of them before I would dream of trying it… And it might never happen, especially if I find a pairing I like better for either one of them… I'm just putting it out there…

I am looking for some input here, so let me know what you think! And don't take any pairing that I mentioned too much to heart… There are going to be a lot of shakeups in this story… and more than one breakup…

Of course, there will likely be makeups as well… (I like to keep people guessing…LOL!)

** 4. **I had planned to spend more time leading up to this chapter, letting The Scoobies get to know The Order 'onscreen' so to speak. But I decided that I wanted Harry at Headquarters and then I would spend more time with the two sets of characters interacting... so that's what I'm doing:)

Now that I've spouted off for far too long, on to the 'Thank you's".

Thanks for the reply **goldenshadows**! Here's the next chapter!

Thanks for the reply **Katilwen**! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! Harry will definitely be acting more mature… Most of the time… But really, he wouldn't be Harry if he weren't reckless occasionally;)

As for the pairings, see above… and don't worry, no love for Snape;) I don't think he'd survive such a thing…hehehe… Thanks again for the reply! I hope you enjoy chapter two…

Thanks for the reply **IsiwaruOfCkoloatia**! Here's the update!

Thanks for the reply **Susan**! I'm glad that you like it! I've never really liked the magical creature description myself… I prefer Mystical Warriors… as I'm sure the slayers do;) Here's your update! I hope you like it!

Previous disclaimer applies. I own nothing!

On to Chapter Two!

Snowie

**Chapter Two:**

****

Malfoy Manor…

Draco Malfoy was in a rare state…

It had been a week since that night and he was still having nightmares.

And he was quite sure that at least on _this _night, he'd woken up screaming.

Which was why he was now propped up against his pillows at 4 am shaking and sweating.

And thinking. Thinking about his life and where it was headed. Thinking about what he'd done… and what he hadn't done.

Thinking about the next trip of Death Eater 'initiation' that his father had scheduled for him the following night…

And he didn't want to go.

In fact, there was nothing in the world that he wanted to do less… except of course the final step of 'initiation', during which he'd be branded for life.

Thankfully that step wouldn't come until the end of his sixth year… on his seventeenth birthday.

"Yeah, happy birthday," he muttered bitterly. "And here's your disfiguring and _painful_ permanent brand. Yeah, thank you so much. I really appreciate it!"

It was lucky that he was alone in the house on this night. All that he would have needed to make the night complete would have been for one of his parents to have heard his screams.

As it was, his father was off somewhere doing something that was likely immensely illegal. His mother was… god knows where, doing god knows what… but she wasn't there and that was all that was important.

Based on the other 'initiation' activities, he was sure to be doing something quite illegal that night as well…

Another girl maybe.

Another innocent life torn apart and extinguished.

And for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy _cared_.

He had spent his early years content to follow his father. Content with the promises of power and control that came from the dark arts.

He'd been happy to use his knowledge and his nasty sense of humor to torment the people around him. Torment those who stood against the Dark Lord and his followers.

Now, the very thought of following in his father's footsteps made him ill.

For all his actions of the past, he had never truly hurt anyone… never seen them struggle and scream and cry.

He'd never known how much pain could be expressed with a simple sound… or that such a sound could produce such emotion in _him_.

He'd never seen the way that agony could change a person's face.

Now he had.

Never known that someone could take such pleasure from something so foul.

But now he did.

He'd watched as his father and his fellow Death Eaters had kidnapped and tortured a Muggle girl.

He'd just stood by and _watched _as they laughed at her pain, her screams only prompting them to increase the agony…

Increase it until, in an instant, it was over.

As her life was over.

Draco threw off his covers and struggled to his feet. He stumbled into the bathroom and stood before the mirror, staring at himself.

He looked terrible.

Eyes bloodshot and red… his face even more pale then usual.

In some ways he was still his father's son. That night, he had managed to keep his smirk in place, his true feelings about what was happening hidden.

At least until he was home, locked away in his own room.

And then he'd spent the next few hours either being ill in the bathroom or trying to sleep, only to be woken by nightmares.

_Nightmares!_

_He _was having _nightmares_.

It was a new experience for him. Even as a child he had never been plagued with night terrors.

The next morning, the family had enjoyed breakfast together on the patio, as if nothing had happened.

And his father had smiled at him with pride.

He had conducted himself in the manner expected of a Malfoy.

When his father was done eating and Draco was done picking at his food, Lucius had instructed him to join him in the Library.

Draco sat down across from his father and tried not to look nervous, though his stomach was sour and his palms were sweating. His father remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"I noticed that you weren't very hungry this morning, Draco." Draco had just shrugged, hoping that he'd looked unconcerned. "It's to be expected, I believe." A quick glance had told him that he hadn't heard wrong. His father was smiling at him benignly… almost fondly. "I remember my first night... The feelings that came after. Such a heady feeling of… power. And I knew… I knew that girl would give you a taste for this."

Draco struggled to hold back a sound of frustrated disbelief. _Yeah, terrible nauseating taste…_

"Pretty wasn't she? Well, for a Muggle…"

_And without doubt sweet and innocent until **they'd **gotten their hands on her…_

He had known for a long time what being a Death Eater entailed… what it meant.

But he'd never truly understood it, not until that moment.

And now, standing in his bathroom, staring at his reflection, he wished, for the first time in his life, that he was someone else.

But wishing never got anyone anywhere.

That night he would go with his father, follow him into whatever depraved situation the elder Malfoy saw fit.

And he would play along, because when it came right down to it, what else could he do?

****

Phoenix Headquarters…

Almost a week had passed since that first night and the Scooby gang was settling in to life at Grimmauld Place. Giles was busy trying to get the Council up and running. Buffy and Faith made frequent visits to the Council building and Giles had taken to spending most afternoons at Order headquarters, researching and helping out however he could.

The four girls and Xander had been spending a lot of time with the teenagers and certain members of The Order, learning about the Wizarding World and the fight against Voldemort. Most of the stories seemed to center on Harry and the Scooby Gang found that they liked him already.

It was hard to hear about a twelve year old who'd faced a giant basilisk and lived to tell the tale without coming to like him…

They also hated Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle (they always seemed to be talked about as if they were one person… the Scobbies hadn't quite figured that one out yet) and Dolores Umbridge due to the same stories.

Severus Snape they came to dislike all on their own.

Willow found him particularly disagreeable and as did Dawn. They were both such perky upbeat people that his cranky and miserable attitude really irked them. Dawn had taken to calling him Mr. Poopy Pants, much to Buffy's disapproval… and embarrassment.

That wasn't to say that she liked him… she just found the nickname to be… impolite.

Faith thought it was hilarious and had joined Dawn in her crusade to annoy the Potions Master... Though Willow seemed to be the one able to annoy him the most… without even having to try.

A prime example of this occurred as they started their sixth afternoon at 12 Grimmauld Place.

It was what Buffy soon started calling the 'Eep' heard 'round the world.

The sound of the explosion that had followed Willow's exclamation of surprise had brought most of the household running.

They found Snape and Willow involved in a glaring contest… And stood around them, most gaping in astonishment.

"I didn't mean to!" Willow said darkly, ignoring the stampeding hoard that had descended on them. She was meeting the Potion Master's scowl with an impressive one of her own. "You shouldn't surprise someone like that!"

"I surprise students all the time," Snape growled. "And it never caused even _Neville Longbottom _to create such a catastrophe!"

It was just about then that Fred and George got a good look at Snape… And began to roar with laughter… And they were soon joined by most of the other people in the vicinity.

It was obvious that Willow had been mixing some sort of potion when Snape had surprised her. The resulting explosion had sent it flying throughout the room. Willow looked completely normal, the potion having somehow missed her completely…

But Snape's hair was a shade of pink that put Tonks' to shame…

That said nothing of the little ringlets that now bounced above his shoulders.

"Well, obviously you've never interrupted them in the middle of mixing a powerful metamorphosis potion…" Willow said snidely. "By the way, Sevvie, I think curls are really the look for you."

"What?" Snape roared. He spun on his heal and stalked to the mirror on the wall.

The resulting rant was near indiscernible through the sputters. They did manage to pick out the words pink, curls, travesty and a pretty clear 'damnable American witch' before he swept from the room, no doubt in search of an antidote.

"Ah Severus!" Lupin called after him. "Where's your sense of humor? Besides, I quite agree with Willow. Curl's _are _a good look for you!"

Snape ignored him as a fresh wave of laughter echoed through the room.

"Damn, I wish Harry were here!" Ron exclaimed, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "That was bloody brilliant!"

"Ron! Don't swear!" Hermione exclaimed. She looked around worriedly. "And we really shouldn't laugh. He is a professor after all."

"Oh lighten up Hermione," Fred said. "I mean, it's Snape. If you don't keep your sense of humor about the guy he'll drive you nuts!"

"Willow," Lupin asked. "How did you manage to escape unscathed?"

"Giles taught me well," Willow said with a shrug. "Shielding charm, works wonders. Unfortunate for Sevvie, he didn't have one up."

Xander laughed. "That's my Willow. Always thinking ahead."

"Yeah," Buffy said slyly, knowing that there was more to this situation than met the eye. "Too bad she didn't think to put up a ward on the door to prevent herself from being surprised."

Willow looked over at her best friend quickly and answered the slayer's smirk with one of her own. "What can I say? I'm a rebel!"

Xander gasped lightly. "Willow Rosenberg!" He said with mock disapproval. "I'm surprised at you!"

Willow pouted. "Well if he weren't so damned disagreeable all the time! Besides, he should learn to keep his always-negative opinions of people I care about to himself! The next time he says something negative about Dawn or Faith it'll be a hell of a lot worse than pink hair, I promise you that!"

He'd said something bad about Dawn? All humor left Buffy's face. "And what did that slimy, kinda evil bastard say about my sister?"

"Oops," Willow said softly, looking to Xander for help. Xander just shrugged. No way he was getting in the middle of that one.

Faith stepped in. "C'mon B," she said, pulling her sister slayer from the room. "Let's go grab the brat and talk to Giles about going out to kill something tonight. What do you say?"

"Well, okay," Buffy said, shooting a look in Willow's direction that let the redhead know that the conversation wasn't over yet. Lupin followed them out; off to inform Molly about what had just happened.

"Phew," Willow let out a breath of relief as the Slayers disappeared. "If he thought pink hair was bad…" She muttered.

"You did that on purpose?" George asked, his voice full of awe. That was the kind of prank that he dreamed of…

Willow laughed. "I'm not that nervous or that clumsy… anymore," she said. "I knew the approximate results should I mess up on that part of the potion. He came bursting in here bitching about Faith and Dawn… and my hand just… slipped."

Fred was also staring at her with awe. "Do you think we could get that in an oral form? Pink hair and curls… what a prank! We'd sell out!"

George nodded in agreement. "And Snape would have pink hair and curls all year long…"

"It would be beautiful…" Fred said, his voice full of wonder.

"Beautiful…" George echoed.

Willow shrugged. She pointed to the book next to her demolished cauldron. "Spell's in there. I'll show you where I was and you can see what you can cook up."

Hermione gasped. "You can't mean to encourage them!"

"Ah, Hermione, lighten up!" Ron said, grabbing her arm and dragging her from the room. "Your prefect duties don't extend to the summer holidays… 'sides, Fred and George aren't in school anymore. They're adults and they can do whatever the hell they want!"

"Don't swear… And you just want people to be slipping that thing into Snape's food…"

Fred and George shook their heads as Hermione's voice faded out. "Those two ought to just get it over with and start dating…"

"Because they already sound like an old married couple…"

"Constant bickering…"

"Annoying tiffs…"

"They should at least be snogging for all their trouble." They both shrugged and turned their attention back to Willow.

"Thanks for the book Willow," Fred said. "We appreciate it."

Willow shrugged. "I'm all for a good joke every now and then…" She looked at them sternly and wagged one finger at them. "As long as they're not being played on me, you hear?" The twins nodded and Willow's mind drifted back to Ron and Hermione. They had an interesting relationship and she couldn't help but wonder… "So how does Harry fit into their dynamic?" She asked the twins. "It's kind of weird for me to think of them with a third."

"It won't once you see them," George said with a shrug. "The three of them have been best friends since first year."

Fred nodded. "They'd do anything for each other… and Ron and Hermione would follow Harry anywhere."

"Follow him?" Willow asked, wrinkling her nose. "What? He's like their leader?"

Fred shrugged. "In a way… Harry's never had much opportunity to follow. He sticks out… and pretty much everything usually comes down to him, whether he wants it to or not. So yeah… they follow him. And they're not the only ones."

"Right," George said, nodding in agreement. "I'd follow the guy to hell if he asked me to. After all, he saved Ginny's life… and Dad's."

"He's family."

Xander and Willow looked at each other. Now that sounded familiar. Fighting the good fight, battling evil, saving people… Harry was soundeing a heck of a lot like Buffy.

"I guess that makes sense," Xander said. "But what about the arguments?"

George laughed. "They bicker around him. Sometimes he takes Ron's side, sometimes Hermione's… though all in all, he tends to think more like Ron."

"Yeah, and he'd be on Ron's side in this one," Fred said. "Though he wouldn't be quite so vocal about it. He'd say something quiet to calm the situation… or change the subject."

"Unless he was in one of those moods," George added.

"Oh yeah," Fred said. "Then he'd just tell 'em to shut up."

"So he'd approve of me letting you have the book?" Willow asked.

Both of the twins laughed at this. "Of course!" George said. "Harry doesn't much care for rules, in case you couldn't tell from the stories we've told you about him… And don't tell Mum, but Harry gave us our start up capital for the shop. He's the reason we have it in the first place."

"And anything that would leave Snape in pink curls would be on Harry's list of good ideas…"

****

In the Hall…

Faith and Buffy slowed as the bickering couple approached them. They turned around and looked at the two teens with amusement.

"What are you guys arguing about now?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," Faith said. "And don't you ever do anything else?"

"Funny," Hermione said with a sniff.

"Ignore her," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "She's just fuming because Willow gave Fred and George her Spellbook. They want to try and figure out an oral version of that side-effect for their joke shop."

"Wicked," Faith said with a grin. "I take it that the kids at Hogs-whatever…"

"Hogwarts," Hermione provided.

"Hogwarts," Faith amended fluidly, not breaking stride. "Would put that to good use… Old poopy-pants won't know what hit him!"

Buffy sighed. "Faith, I really wish that you wouldn't encourage Dawn in using that damned nickname!"

"Why not?" Faith asked. "I think it describes him perfectly."

"It's just… rude," Buffy said.

"I think it's bloody hilarious!" Ron said. He sighed. "Though Mum would have my hide if I even thought about using it."

"And she'd be right," Hermione said. "He's a teacher Ron!"

Ron shrugged. "He's a prat, Hermione."

"So," Buffy said, interrupting them before they could hit their stride. "When do you think Harry will be showing up? We're looking forward to meeting him."

Hermione sighed. "I don't know. They won't tell us anything. I think that they're afraid that we'll try to tell him and the message will be intercepted."

"Well, would you?" Buffy asked.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "Last week I would have said no," Ron said. "But Harry… well, his letter's have been a little weird lately."

Hermione nodded. "He's too… _calm_."

Faith and Buffy exchanged a look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Harry can be…" Hermione paused. "I don't want you to think badly of him. He's a wonderful person and very charismatic… when he isn't in a pissy mood."

"And last year he was in a pissy mood pretty much _all _the time," Ron said. "Of course we had that Umbridge woman to deal with… and no one would ever tell him anything about what was going on. No one believed him when he said that You Know Who was back. They were calling him a liar and crazy."

"He was angry a lot," Hermione said. "And sullen. He felt like the world was ganging up on him… and in a lot of ways it was. He was fighting The Ministry, V-Voldemort and even, in some ways Professor Dumbledore and The Order."

"And then that whole thing at The Ministry happened… and Sirius died."

Hermione nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Sirius was the closest thing that Harry had ever had to a parent and I can't even tell you what it did to him. After the fight at The Ministry, Dumbledore told Harry something. And neither one of them will tell us what it was… But after that… well, Harry barely said a word during the end of the term at school. And he hasn't said _anything _in any of his letters since. 'Hi. I'm fine. How are you?' and that's _it_. And that's just not like Harry."

Ron nodded. "Normally he'd be demanding to know when he was coming here. Demanding to be told what was going on. Ordering Hedwig to peck at us because we aren't telling him anything… But all he's saying is that he's fine…" Ron glanced over ate Hermione. "Well, we kinda reckon he's up to something."

Hermione sighed again. "And that means that within the next few days, he'll probably get into some kind of scrape… So we'll likely be seeing him by the end of the week."

Ron nodded. "And hopefully, it won't be through bars. If he has to go on trial again, Mum'll flip her lid."

Buffy and Faith looked at each other. That didn't sound good… it also sounded a bit familiar… Faith laughed. "I like the sounds of this kid," she said. "Seems like he gets into just as much trouble as we always manage to."

Buffy smiled. "Oh and the stories about giant three-headed dog, basilisks, creepy undead-like things in cloaks, dragons, duels, death and destruction hadn't clued you in to that fact before?"

"Well yeah," Faith said. "But the more I hear, the more I like! C'mon B, tell me you haven't been as bored around this joint as I have? Sounds like trouble follows Harry and that means when he shows, so comes the fun!"

Buffy shook her head. "I happen to like the calm Faith… and hopefully tonight will cure you of your boredom."

They were interrupted as Dawn suddenly appeared on the stairs. "Is it patrolling time? Huh? Is it?"

Buffy and Faith laughed. "Pretty soon, brat," Faith said.

"You're going patrolling?" Hermione asked.

"_Dawn _gets to go patrolling?" Ron added.

"Yeah," Faith said. "As I said, we're going stir crazy here. Gotta get out and kill something… and Dawn gets to go because there's nothing in London that compares to a _slow _night on the Hellmouth."

"Not to mention that I've got mad skills," Dawn said, winking at Ron and Hermione.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "What with the shrieking and the running."

"Don't forget hiding," Dawn said. "I'm awesome at hiding."

Ron and Hermione laughed and then Ron sighed. "I'd ask to go along, but I already know the answer… And even if you guys said yes… Well, I can hear Mum already." Ron shuddered slightly. "Yeah, letting it go."

The girls laughed.

Giles stepped out of the Library. "Buffy? Faith? Dawn? We have some things to go over before patrol tonight. Are you ready?"

"Sure Giles," Buffy said.

"Hey brat," Faith said as the three of them followed Giles into the Library. "Where've you been? You missed Poopy-pants' new 'do."

Dawn gasped. "What do you mean?"

"Pink, Dawnie," Buffy said.

"With _curls_," Faith added.

"What?" Dawn shrieked. "Why do I miss all the good stuff?"

Ron and Hermione laughed as the door shut behind the group, then they headed in the general direction of the kitchen. Ron had a feeling that dinnertime was getting close…

****

Patrolling, Muggle London…

Two demons and a vampire had been the extent of the nights yield. None of them had put up much of a fight. Dawn had even been allowed to stake the vamp, which she was quite proud of… despite the fact that Faith had been holding on to him at the time.

"So where to now?" Dawn asked, bouncing slightly on her feet. She loved it when Buffy and Faith allowed her to go patrolling with them. It made her feel closer to her sister... And less threatened by the bond that was growing between the two slayers.

Of course, that was suddenly made less important by a series of loud pops. "Um, who're they?" Dawn asked, stopping suddenly.

Buffy cursed softly, looking around to assess the situation. Not good. Not good at all.

"You had to jinx us," Buffy said hissed in Faith's direction as groups of Death Eaters closed in on them from all sides. She dropped into a fighting stance, her eyes continuing to scan the crowd.

"What'd I do?" Faith asked defensively, as she too prepared to fight.

"'There's nothing in London that compares to a _slow _night on the Hellmouth.'" Buffy mimicked sarcastically.

"Oh yeah," Faith said with a small sigh. "Shit."

"Dawnie, get against the wall," Buffy said as she and Faith took up positions back to back. The let their weapons fall to the pavement, knowing that for all their magic, these were people… And slayers didn't kill humans.

"'Kay," Dawn said, complying immediately.

The first spell caught Buffy in the chest and sent her down on one knee. She took a shuddering breath and bounced back to her feet, shaking off the pain. Okay, not so bad. Maybe her slayer blood offered a bit of protection… She ducked as another curse headed her way. Yeah, really wasn't liking that…

"Make 'em fight you hand to hand, B," Faith said, ducking a curse and forcing Dawn to the ground. "Stay down Dawnie," she muttered before turning and grabbing the Death Eater closest to her. "Hiya, punk." She picked him up and threw him at two of his friends. "Déjà vu, much?"

Buffy had taken Faith's advice to heart and waded into the pack of Death Eaters, spinning, kicking and punching with such force and speed that the Wizards had a hard time aiming curses at her, some getting hit by 'friendly' fire. Others fell to the ground unconscious before the slayer's fists.

Faith was having similar good fortune. But there were just so many of them…

And neither Buffy nor Faith noticed the small group of Death Eaters breaking apart from the larger group…

One of them sneaked between the two Slayers and grabbed Dawn, clapping his hand over her mouth. She struggled against him, but he pulled her along, away from the fight, into a dark alleyway down the block. Four others joined him.

Lucius Malfoy dropped the Muggle girl by the wall, a quick spell keeping her in place. He then looked around. "Ah, Draco," he said, waving his son over. "We have some information that we need from this girl. Would you like to do the honors?"

Draco stepped forward, forcing his sluggish feet to work normally. He'd known that his father would ask…

But he couldn't…

"Show me how it's done, Father," he said indolently. "Then _I_ shall give it a try." '_Or maybe by then I will have figured a way out of this…'_

"Ah, very good, my boy," Lucius said, turning his attention back to the girl.

Dawn had been watching the scene between the two masked figures silently, her eyes wide with fear. She knew very well how precarious her position was… but she just had to hold on until Buffy and Faith could reach her…

"Tell us about the wandless witch, girl!" Lucius demanded.

Dawn was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "No," she said clearly, forcing the tremor out of her voice.

"Very well," Lucius said softly. Draco could hear the smile in his father's voice… and he shuddered. Lucius raised his wand. "_Crucio_."

It was a pain unlike anything that she had ever felt before. Her body contorted as wave after wave of agony rolled over her…

And she screamed…

A horrible, wrenching scream…

Draco paled behind his mask, his horrified eyes locked on the girl in front of him.

It was happening again…

And again, here he was, standing by and letting it.

"_Finite Incantatem_." Lucius watched for a moment as the spasms of pain receded. "What about now girl? Where is the witch!"

Tears were rolling freely down Dawn's face and she was struggling to retain consciousness… She steeled herself against the pain. "No," she said again.

The spell that Lucius used this time was not the _Cruciatus_… He instead used _Pugnus Cruentum_…

The girl collapsed as blows from invisible fists reigned down on her, forcing her closer to unconsciousness.

Lucius ended the curse. "What about now?"

"Never," Dawn gasped.

Draco looked at his father and then back at the girl, unable to believe what was happening…

But what could he do? What…

There was really only one answer to that question…

Heroics simply weren't his style, which is why, out of all of the people in the alley; _he _was the most surprised by what he ended up doing.

He stepped in front of the Muggle girl as his father sent another _Cruciatus_ curse her way.

And fell to his knees, screaming in agony.

****

Back With The Slayers…

Buffy threw her latest 'victim' to the ground and had a sudden bolt of fear run through her. Something was very, _very _wrong.

She spun around, her eyes skimming the area behind her. Faith was there, fighting desperately with the other group of Death Eaters.

But Dawn…

Dawn was nowhere to be seen.

"Faith!" Buffy yelled. "Where's Dawn?"

"What?" Faith screamed back. She threw the Death Eater that she'd been fighting away from her and spun around. "She was right there!" She exclaimed, pointing to the wall. She felt, rather than saw, a spell being aimed her way and ducked. She swept around, knocking the offending Wizard off his feet.

"Behind you, B!" She yelled.

Buffy spun around, quickly disarming the Wizard that had been about to curse her.

"They took her somewhere," Buffy said, her voice far more calm than how she was feeling. Her hand shot out, grasping the Wizard in front of her by the throat. She raised him up till his toes were skimming the pavement. "Where's my sister, you cretin!"

She dropped him as Dawn's agonized scream ripped through the night. She turned towards the sound, starting to move towards it.

And was hit by a curse from behind. And another. And another.

Buffy fell to the ground, darkness overtaking her.

"B!" Faith shouted. Okay, that was it. She grabbed her sword from the ground where she'd dropped it. "Next person who throws a curse loses a hand!"

A few wands were swung around her way and she lunged forward, swinging the sword before her.

More screams filled the night around her, from the men around her, from the alley some distance away…

And Faith fought.

She couldn't help Dawn until these damned Death Eaters were toast!

She didn't stop moving until a series of pops filled the night as Aurors arrived on the street.

****

Alleyway…

Lucius stared at his son in disbelief. What _was _the boy doing? He ended the curse quickly.

"Draco? Stand aside boy!"

Draco gasped for breath as the curse wore off. "I'm sorry Father, but that's something that I simply cannot do."

"What?" Lucius exclaimed. "Have you lost your mind?"

Draco shook his head, pulling off his mask and throwing it to the ground. "No Father… I think I've finally found it. You shan't hurt her again. I won't let you."

Lucius was silent for a moment… And then he shrugged. "Very well," he said, his voice dark.

"What?" Draco asked. That sounded almost like his father was giving in…

But he knew better…

"Oh, not to worry boy…" Lucius said silkily. "The fact that you are my son has absolutely no bearing on this situation. You've made your choice." Lucius raised his wand.

"_Pugnus Cruentum…"_

One of the other Death Eaters aimed his wand at Draco as well. _"Crucio!"_

The two curses hit Draco as one…

And he screamed…

And _screamed_…

He barely noticed a third Death Eater raise his wand, unleashing the _Cruciatus _curse on Dawn.

****

Diagon Alley, Some Time Before…

Harry slipped out of Flourish and Blotts and made his way to the nearest alleyway. He placed the bag of books that he had just purchased at his feet and pulled on his invisibility cloak.

Sneaking into Diagon Alley was a bit of a risk, as was removing his invisibility cloak in order to buy books at Flourish and Blotts.

But in Harry's mind, it was a necessary risk.

The bag at his feet held all the books that he had been able to find on Occlumency and Legilimency. And he had every intention of mastering Occlumency by the end of the summer… before getting started on Legilimency…

He shook his head slightly. If Hermione could only see him now.

A whole summer stretched out before him and all he was planning to do was study.

Yeah, best not to mention that to her. She'd probably insist that he get checked out at St Mungo's.

Harry picked up the bag of books and slipped it under the cloak with him. When he was sure that there was nothing showing to give him away, he cautiously approached the end of the alley.

He peered out, looking around to make sure no one would run into him, before exiting the alley. He made his way to the Diagon Alley exit and waited somewhat impatiently for someone to approach and open the wall. It wouldn't do to open it himself… Having it open and no one exit was bound to make _someone _suspicious.

And _that _was something that he couldn't afford. He let out a silent breath of relief as a Witch approached the wall and opened it. He followed her into The Leaky Cauldron, taking special care not to make any noise. Luckily she was on her way to Muggle London, because she continued to the front door and Harry was able to escape out into the night.

He had hidden his Firebolt a few blocks away. He'd been flying into London, having decided that taking the Knight Bus was just too risky.

Not that flying wasn't dangerous in it's own right, but a broomstick flying through the air a couple hundred feet above the ground really wasn't that noticeable when the person on it was invisible.

The walk to where his broomstick was hidden took him close to Grimmauld Place. As he got close to Order Headquarters, he was struck by a sudden desire to go and knock on the door.

If it weren't for the fact that doing so would get him a scolding the likes of which he'd never seen, he would have done it. Just to be able to talk to Ron and Hermione and find out what had really been happening with the Order all summer.

Harry sighed softly. If only they'd just let him leave the Dursley's. What good did it do to lock him away there? Sure, there was the whole blood kin protection thing, but staying with the Dursley's made him crazy.

And he happened to think that his sanity was more important than a little added protection.

He wandered somewhat aimlessly towards his hiding spot, not paying much attention to where he was going.

And then suddenly, he stopped dead, his thoughts interrupted as a scream ripped through the night.

Harry regained his ability to move as another scream joined the first. He pulled his wand from his robes and ran towards the sound, dropping his books on the sidewalk as he reached the alleyway from which it had originated. He entered silently, taking in the scene before him.

Four Death Eaters arranged around two hunched figures on the ground.

One of the Death Eaters was speaking and Harry recognized the voice instantly.

Lucius Malfoy.

Harry couldn't say that he was surprised that the guy was already out of Azkaban, not with the Wizarding World being in the state it was in. No, that wasn't a surprise at all.

What _was _a surprise was the young man who was using his body as a wall between the Death Eaters and an unconscious muggle girl. A bruised, bloody and _barely _conscious… _Draco _Malfoy.

Yeah, there had to be a story there. One that he had every intention of hearing. Later though. There were more pressing things that needed to be done at the moment.

His eyes narrowed. Like… "_Stupefy_!" He cried, moving noiselessly to the right as his curse hit its mark… The Death Eater that had been about to _Crucio_ Draco.

The Death Eaters had been taken by surprise, but recovered quickly; two of them sending off curses in the direction that Harry's voice had come from.

The third was knocked flat by a second _Stupefy _as Harry continued to move silently (except when he was actually cursing someone) around the alley. Another curse was thrown in the direction that he had been only moments before.

The next curse he threw was a _Petrificus totalis_. It was rather gratifying to watch the man fall to the ground in a full body bind…

"_Accio invisibility cloak_!"

And suddenly Harry was exposed. Luckily for him, he was already a few feet away from where Lucius Malfoy expected to see him. That and Malfoy's complete and utter surprise at seeing who it was that had attacked him gave Harry all the opportunity he needed. His _Stupefy_ curse landed quite nicely, sending Malfoy tumbling to the ground.

It was a bit anticlimactic, but all in all, it had gone much better than he had expected it to going in.

He pointed his wand at each man in turn, thin cords shooting from the end of his wand, binding the men securely. Thank heavens he'd gotten Lupin to teach him how to do that spell last summer. He'd known it would come in handy eventually.

He looked around the alley. There was just one more thing…

"_Accio wands_!"

At that, five wands flew from the ground into his outstretched hand.

"Good," he said softly, quite pleased with himself.

At least he hadn't gotten himself killed. That would have put him in for quite the number of _I told you so_'sfrom the members of the order. And the whole being dead thing… that would have been bad as well.

He hurried over to where Draco Malfoy was even then kneeling beside the muggle girl. He looked as though he couldn't have stood, even had he wanted to.

"I couldn't let them hurt her," Malfoy muttered softly, his breath coming in short, wheezing gasps. "I don't know why… I just couldn't let them hurt her."

"Who is she?" Harry asked, crouching beside her. He touched her face gently before checking her pulse. It was strong and steady. He let out a sigh of relief. Her chest was rising and falling evenly. She'd be okay.

"I don't know," Malfoy said, still looking down at her, his face awash with confusion and disbelief. "I have no idea who she is. They just… They want someone she knows." He finally looked up at Harry, horror shining in his eyes. "The way she _screamed_…"

This was a side of Draco Malfoy that Harry had never seen before. One that he hadn't believed existed.

There wasn't much time, but Harry hadn't been put in Gryffindor for no reason. He was well versed in the art of brashly jumping into situations without thought of self-preservation. This seemed the perfect time for just such an action.

He sorted through the wands that he'd stuck hastily in one of his pockets and separated out Draco's. He handed it to the other boy wordlessly and got to his feet.

"Wha…?" Draco started, looking at the wand in disbelief.

"If you curse me in the back with that thing, I'm going to be really pissed," Harry said shortly, even as he pulled out his own wand and approached the nearest bound Death Eater.

"_Exsculptum Memoriae Absolutum_…" A blank look entered the man's eyes and Draco's eyes widened in response. Where the hell had Potter learned that spell? And how had he managed to practice it enough so that it actually worked?

"Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed, struggling to his feet. "What in the hell are you doing?"

Harry looked at Malfoy like he'd gone mental. "Erasing their memories," he said wryly. And set about doing just that to two more of the downed Death Eaters.

Malfoy couldn't help rolling his eyes. Damned wanker. Obviously that wasn't what he'd meant. "_That _I'd noticed. My question was more along the lines of _why_?"

"I'd think that would be just as obvious Malfoy," Harry said, his wand at ready over the last of the Death Eaters, one Lucius Malfoy. "So they don't remember that you _'betrayed'_ them, of course. What's the point in my saving your life if your father and his mates kill you tomorrow anyway?"

"And you think they'll be able to do that how?" Draco asked. "Auror's will likely be here in a few moments… They'll be taken to Azkaban."

Harry snorted. "Now Malfoy, I know you're not _that _stupid. How long did your father stay in Azkaban after attacking The Ministry last month?"

Malfoy sighed. "Two weeks." But he didn't want to be any more indebted to Harry Potter than he already was. "Why do you care anyway?" He asked, going back to the unpleasant thought of his father killing him. "Wouldn't it make your life a little easier if they were to kill me?"

"Without doubt," Harry said, shaking his head at the other boy. "'Cause you're being really bloody annoying. Shut up and let me concentrate! We don't have much time." He turned his attention back to Lucius Malfoy and concentrated on carrying out the last memory charm.

Draco watched silently as Harry placed the powerful memory charm on his father. When he was done, he repeated his earlier question. "Why are you helping me?" His tone was a mixture of disbelief, uncertainty and, oddly enough, fear.

Harry was silent for a moment. He gazed down at Lucius Malfoy, studying him as if his very life depended on it… Finally he looked over at Draco and answered him, slowly, his voice serious. "Because today, for the first time, I saw something in you that was _worth _something... Something worth saving. This is your opportunity Malfoy. Don't screw it up."

His opportunity? The guy _must _have bloody lost it! Had he forgotten who he was talking to? Harry Potter was actually giving _him _a second chance? "What in the hell are you talking about, Potter?"

"You have a choice." Harry paused, scoffing softly. "Well, you've always had a choice. I just always thought that you were too much of a bloody wanker to choose any other path than the one you were groomed for." Harry stopped talking and studied the other boy. "We don't really have time for this conversation right now, Malfoy. Aurors'll be here any second." He picked up his invisibility cloak from where it had fallen and tossed it to Draco.

Malfoy looked down at the cloak in shock, unable to process what was happening. Unable to wrap his head around the magnitude of what Harry seemed to be doing for him. It just didn't make any sense… unless the guy was a freaking loon… or that… Draco hated to even think it… but that _brave _and willing to overlook the past...

It was almost nauseating… Yeah, definitely nauseating.

His thoughts were interrupted as Harry handed him a small sheet of paper with an address on it and a key.

"Muggle London," Harry said, indicating the paper. "Go to that address, wear the cloak. The key opens the door to flat 314. Wait for me there. I'll meet you as soon as I'm able. There should be some helpful potions in the medicine cabinet… For healing and whatnot."

Draco just gaped at him, still not believing what was happening. The Harry Potter he knew would not be this willing to stick his neck out… not for the Slytherin prince.

"What?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Who in the hell _are _you?"

Harry sighed. "You don't know anything about me, Malfoy. Not really. You've never bothered to find out. I'm gearing up for a war here and I need all the allies I can get." He paused for a moment. "Even a ferrety git might come in handy, when it comes right down to it…" His tone was mocking, but, to the shock of both of them, it was mocking in an almost… _friendly _way. Harry shook his head. '_Best to think about such disturbing things at a later date…_' "It's time for you to decide which side you're truly on."

Draco opened his mouth to speak again, but Harry grabbed the cloak and threw it over him as a number of pops sounded in the alleyway. Draco disappeared barely an instant before a legion of Aurors filled the alley.

There were several gasps as a few of the Aurors recognized him.

"Harry Potter!" One witch exclaimed, her voice aghast. It seemed to be all that she was able to say, for after his name left her lips, she began to gape at him in a most alarming manner…

"Nymphadora Tonks," Harry replied in kind, nodding to her. He looked at the man next to her. "Ahh, Kingsley, nice to see you again, mate." He hoped they didn't notice how distracted he was… or how loudly he was speaking.

God, what the hell _was _he doing? All this trouble for Malfoy? Once a stupid slimy git…

But that was just it.

Draco hadn't looked like a stupid, slimy git, kneeling in front of that Muggle girl, shielding her with his body…

He'd looked like a bloody hero, ferrety traits notwithstanding…

And one thing that Harry's Gryffindor soul recognized, however unwillingly, was bravery. He would see it rewarded. He would give Draco Malfoy this chance, no matter what the cost.

"Dawnie!"

And suddenly two young women were sprinting into the alleyway. They went directly to the side of the young muggle woman who was just beginning to wake up. Harry studied them for a moment. There was something slightly… _off _about them. Before he was able to consider them further a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Harry! What are you doing here!"?

Ah! Tonks seemed to have found her voice again. Right good that was… Harry rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the Aurors before him.

"Cursing a few Death Eaters here and there…" Harry answered calmly, though he felt anything but. There was going to be a scene. He had known it going into this, but that didn't mean that he was looking forward to it.

"But _how…_" Kingsley said.

Harry grinned. "Well, see, I pointed my wand at them and then I said words like, _Stupefy _and _Petrificus totalis_…"

Kingsley was torn between amusement and annoyance. He hadn't remembered Harry as being this much of a _wiseass_. Sirius would have been proud…

Kingsley shook himself. "Not the how of the spells, Harry. More, how did you manage to leave your Aunt and Uncle's without anyone being informed?"

Harry shrugged. "Easy. No one knows that I'm gone."

Tonks gasped. He couldn't have! He couldn't have been so foolish and reckless! Not with everything that had happened.

"Harry!" She started, but stopped as he held up a hand.

"Please Tonks, can't we leave the scolding till later? There _are _Death Eaters littering the ground at the moment, you know." He looked pointedly over at the young women by the wall, one barely conscious, two others hovering over her with concern. "And there are injured Muggles to consider."

"Not Muggles," Tonks said quietly, glancing around cautiously, relieved that no one was within hearing distance. She was also relieved that the Auror who was attending to the three women was a recent addition to The Order.

Harry looked at her curiously.

Tonks sighed. "More on the side of magical beings… mystical warriors is the term, I guess. It'll be explained once we get you to Headquarters." If they managed to get him out of the Ministry without charges being filed…

One of the other Aurors had been using his wand to examine each of the Death Eaters in turn. He appeared to become more amazed by each one that he examined.

And his amazement had nothing to do with who they were.

Harry looked over at him and decided to get this out of the way. "I'm afraid you won't learn much from them," Harry said, looking down at the Death Eaters with disgust.

The Auror, who was now crouching next to the still body of Lucius Malfoy, looked up at Harry, his face a mixture of shock, awe and even a hint of fear.

"Where did you learn the _Memoriae_…?" It was a particularly difficult spell, and it left a mark unlike any other on the one receiving it. A mark that he'd recognized immediately.

Both Tonks and Kingsley rounded on Harry with shock. "You used the bloody _Memoriae _on them?" Tonks hissed. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Harry made himself look sheepish. "I didn't want them to remember that it was me that had cursed them. They hate me enough as it is!"

Well, that did make some sense. But the _Memoriae_! That could cause them all problems, especially if he hadn't done it right.

"Wood?" Kingsley asked, looking down at his fellow auror.

"It appears to be an excellent casting," Wood said, looking at Harry. He then addressed his fellow Aurors. "There shouldn't be any permanent damage. Their memories of tonight are gone, no one, not even You-Know-Who could retrieve them. But otherwise…" Auror Wood shrugged. "They'll be their normal, charming selves when they wake up…"

Tonks and Kinsley look relieved. Well, at least there was that…

Harry sighed in disappointment. "Too bad, that," he said, almost wishing that he had messed up the spell.

Everyone looked at him with questioning shock. "Oh please! Tell me it wouldn't be good to have a permanently damaged Lucius Malfoy walking around instead of the wanker we'll be getting!" A thoughtful light entered his eyes and he smiled slightly. "In fact, let me try the _Catatonis_… I'm not nearly so good at that one…"

Harry went to take a step forward but stopped when Tonks put a forceful hand on his chest. "Harry Potter! You stop right there!" Harry went still, staring at her with trepidation. She had that look about her… like she was two seconds from grabbing him by the ear and dragging him out of the alleyway… "No more cursing for you tonight! We're going to have a hard enough time getting you out of trouble for what you've already done!"

She stopped, glancing nervously over at Wood. They still didn't know exactly where he stood on anything… Well other than his hatred of Voldemort. It was just unclear if he was Ministry-type or Phoenix-type.

Apparently he was the latter. "Don't worry about me," he said with a slight laugh. "Just let me know if you need any help. It's not likely that Fudge'll do anything though. I think he has quite enough to worry about as it is."

There had been an uproar within The Ministry and throughout the Wizarding world when it became clear that Harry and Dumbledore had, in fact, been telling the truth about Voldemort. All of Fudge's energy was focused on preserving his position as Minister of Magic. Reason number one in Wood's mind that he should be removed. They needed someone who would devote all their energy towards defeating Voldemort… whatever the cost.

Like Harry seemed to be…

He stood and made his way over to the young man. "Harry, it's nice to meet you," he said, holding out his hand. "My brother's had nothing but good things to say about you…"

Harry smiled, shaking the offered hand. "You're Oliver Wood's brother?"

The man nodded. "Anderson Wood."

"Pleased to meet you," Harry said. He was about to say something further when a blonde bundle of energy hit him full in the chest. All that he managed to get out was a breathless 'oof'. He looked down in surprise at the petite young woman who had her arms wrapped tightly around him. "Can I help you?"

"Thank you!" Buffy said, her voice somewhat muffled. "For saving my sister."

Harry glanced over at the young woman now leaning against a brick wall. Her head was cushioned on the shoulder of the brunette that had entered the alley with the woman now squeezing the life out of him. He found himself blushing… and somewhat unable to breathe. "You're very welcome," he managed to gasp, his voice faint. "But air would be nice."

"Oh sorry!" Buffy exclaimed, letting him go immediately. Suddenly self-conscious, she started a Willow-worthy babble. "Auror what's his face over there told me that you had taken out those damned Death Eaters over there." She nodded to the men still scattered around the ally. "Faith, Dawn and I were out patrol…" She stopped at a quick look from Tonks and corrected herself. "Oh strolling… yes, we were out _strolling _when we were attacked. Faith and I were doing okay, but Dawnie got separated. If you hadn't shown up when you did…" She made as if to hug him again but Harry took a nervous step back. Hugging made him quite uncomfortable, especially when it was someone that he didn't know.

"Quite all right," Harry said. "Glad I could help." He looked at Tonks questioningly but she just shook her head. She would explain later. He looked back at the blonde, about to ask _her _what the hell was going on when another voice filled the alley.

"Transports are here!"

In short order the Death Eaters were placed in magical binds within a vehicle that looked strangely like a muggle bus, only… not. The Auror that was helping the women shuffled them off, saying that he would take them to St. Mungo's, though the look that he threw in Tonks' direction gave Harry the impression that they were headed somewhere else, like Order Headquarters…

And Harry was marched out of the alley and into a waiting ministry vehicle. He sighed as he took his place in the backseat. Yeah, this really wasn't how he'd planned to spend the evening.

Kingsley and Wood took their places up front and Tonks slid in beside Harry. They were about to leave when someone knocked on the widow. Kingsley quickly rolled it down.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Just got a communiqué from The Ministry. Director Bones is assembling The Council of Seven for an immediate hearing. You're to take Potter directly to the council room upon arrival at The Ministry."

Kingsley nodded, ignoring Tonks' faint intake of breath from the back. "We'll see to it." He rolled the window up again and swore softly under his breath as he pulled away from the curb and headed towards The Ministry.

That certainly didn't sound good.

"What's The Council of Seven?" Harry asked.

"New governing body of The Ministry," Wood answered from the front. "Ever since the goings on at The Ministry last month there have been quite a few shakeups. Fudge's position has been decentralized. The Council of Seven has taken over."

"Is that good for me, or bad for me?" Harry asked.

"Honestly Harry, I don't know."

Well, that was just great. At least with Fudge he had some idea what to expect. Trial before the Wizengamut, likely trip to Azkaban… Expelled from school…

Yeah, this Council of Seven was sounding better and better…

They certainly couldn't be much worse.

And Katilwen…

I'm just going to put out a wild guess and say that the spy is Draco.

Someone gets a cookie! Hehehe… You must reply in order to get your prize. (After all, I can't take requests that aren't made. And remember I said an '_eensy_' request, so don't go all crazy on me;) LOL!)


	4. Chapter Three

Hello all! Here's the next chapter!

I had to get this out, because, well… I finished HBP yesterday… and I must say that I am in a state of _extreme _denial right now… and I likely will be until the next book comes out…

I have so many questions that won't be answered until then… So I decided to let it go and live in a world of fanfiction and denial until book seven is released… Yes, that's the plan… LMAO!

Anyway, I might have gone a bit overboard with the Council session, but you'll probably be amazed how little what happens in there ends up effecting everything…

I'm not a huge fan of this chapter myself… It doesn't flow the way I want it to and rewrite after rewrite has not solved it's problems for me, so I'm going to get it over with and just post it. I'm hoping that I've just spent too much time rereading and rewriting it and it's not as bad as I think…

Anyway, let me know what you think!

Previous disclaimer applies, I don't own anything.

Thanks for the reply **TJ6**! Intrigued is good! I'm glad you're enjoying conflicted Draco… makes him more interesting, I think. Thanks again…

Thanks for your reply **Amber**! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! As for the pairings, well, a lot of them still aren't certain and anything is possible… Oh and Oliver Wood will likely be showing up… and of course, all of the Weasleys… sigh even Percy the Prat…

Thanks for the reply **goldenshadows**! I'm glad that you liked the chapter. As I said before, the pairings in this story are totally fluid… so you never know when one that you like more might crop up… As for Harry/Faith, it's going to happen, if only for my own amusement. I'll see how everyone reacts to how it's written and we'll go from there… Thanks again!

Thanks for the reply **Turkey**! Phew! I'm glad that the Draco thing was realistic! I really worked on that one! Ah, the Buffy/Xander pairing… I knew this argument would come up, which was why I hesitated about mentioning it… I'll just say that it's not a certainty and leave it at that… and did I ever say that it would work out if it happened;) LOL! I'm glad you liked the chapter. And Snape… snicker ;)

Thanks for the reply **dominus523**! I'm glad you like it!

Thanks for the reply **Pamie884**! I'm glad you're liking Harry in this… More Draco in this chapter… and the _next _chapter has a Draco/Harry scene that may prove to be _quite _interesting…;) Thanks again!

Thanks for the reply **LegoLand**! I think that I actually blushed when I read this reply! I'm so happy that you think I'm portraying both well. That's important to me! Please don't hesitate to let me know if you see something that doesn't ring true… cause I'm sure it'll happen! LOL! Anyway, thanks so much! I'm glad you're liking it!

Thanks for the reply **Susan**! snicker Snape… The hearing with The Seven is in this chapter! I hope that you like it!

Thanks for reading **madskillzpro**! I'm glad that you like it so far and that you're interested in a Harry/Faith pairing! Thanks for the reply!

Thanks for the reply **Vasey**! I'm glad that you're enjoying the way that I write Harry! I hope that he continues to not irritate you!

Thanks for the reply **IsiwaruOfCkaloatia**! I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Chapter Three

**Harry's Apartment Building…**

Draco stumbled up the last few stairs, feeling no small measure of relief when he finally reached the third floor. He leaned against the wall for a moment in order to catch his breath.

'_A guy thinks that he's in pretty good shape and then he gets hit by a couple of **Cruciatus**_ _curses, not to mention a **Pugnus Cruentum**_…'

Yeah, he didn't want to get hit by _that _curse again anytime soon.

Draco struggled his way upright again and headed down the hall, weaving slightly.

Pain.

He had never in his life felt so much pain…

And not all of it was physical.

He had finally made a decision for himself, acted on a feeling that was his alone…

And his father had tried to kill him for it, without a second thought.

His _father_.

But in a strange way, with the pain of betrayal came… relief. For in his father's action, came all the proof that Draco needed that his decision had been the right one.

And for all the discomfort he was in at the moment… well, he knew that he would do the same thing again.

Because the physical pain in no way compared to the guilt and torment that he had felt for the better part of a week. Guilt and torment that still ate away at him.

_They _had killed someone right in front of him and he'd done _nothing_.

Well, that was one misstep that he refused to make again.

Draco came to a stop in front of the door to flat 314 and pulled the key that Harry had given him out of his pocket. He looked at it for a moment, almost as if he was puzzled by it's existence, before sliding it into the lock and opening the door.

He entered the hallway hesitantly, knowing somehow that he was intruding in someone's private space… invited or not. He closed the door behind him and made his way to the couch in the living room, removing the invisibility cloak as he went. He sat down gingerly and looked around.

The room was furnished sparsely, but comfortably…

And it was one of the most anonymous rooms that Draco had ever been in.

There was nothing there that told of who lived there. It could have belonged to any muggle off the street… or no one at all.

Curious.

But then, as suddenly as Draco Malfoy had grown a conscience, Harry Potter had become a mystery.

Draco still wasn't quite able to understand what had happened in that alley.

One minute he had be struggling to stay upright, anticipating the next _Cruciatus_ that was coming his way. The next, the Death Eater about to curse him had been hit by a _Stupefy_ curse from an invisible caster.

An invisible caster whose voice was all too familiar to Draco Malfoy.

As injured and delirious as he'd been, he'd still been able to marvel at the irony.

He'd done one good thing in his entire life and it _had _to be in front of Harry effing Potter.

But as he'd watched Harry had take down one Death Eater after another, a new feeling had crept over Draco…

Hope.

Because in that alley, he had realized something.

His father, his friends, every dark wizard that he had ever met and Draco himself… _All _of them underestimated Harry Potter to a terrifying degree.

Because as unlikely as it seemed to be, all it took for Harry Potter to be able to dispose of _four _Death Eaters was an invisibility cloak, a _Stupefy _curse (of all things!) and more guts than sense.

And when his father had managed to remove the invisibility cloak, the look on Harry's face had said it all.

Cold determination and anger, iron resolve… and not even a _hint _of fear.

And for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy had seen something in Harry Potter _worthy _of being frightened of.

And that had given him _hope _that the course he'd chosen wouldn't end up getting him killed… but instead may have saved his life.

It had certainly saved his soul.

However, the most astonishing thing about the entire night had come after the Death Eaters were stunned and tied up… When Harry Potter had looked at _him _without disdain or hatred. Had looked beyond all of the things that he'd done, all the things he'd said and had offered him an opportunity that Draco was quite certain he didn't deserve.

A chance to save himself, maybe even to redeem himself…

It was mind-boggling, really…

He had no idea what the guy had been thinking, trusting _him _of all people. Handing him his wand and turning his back…

The guy had guts, Draco would give him that much.

Guts and more ability than Draco had given him credit for.

The _Memoriae _curse told him that in no uncertain terms… Harry's use of it was something that he couldn't help but marvel at.

And he couldn't help but wonder how Harry was getting on with the Aurors after the use of such a thing…

Draco settled back on the couch and closed his eyes, much too tired to think any longer.

He would get up and find those healing potions that Harry had mentioned… in a moment.

He just needed to close his eyes and rest a little…

He was still asleep over three hours later when Harry finally let himself into the flat.

**Twelve Grimmauld Place…**

Buffy threw open the door to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, holding it open so the other two girls could enter. Faith supported most of Dawn's weight as they entered the building, as the teen was still feeling the after effects from the curse.

As soon as they were safely inside, the Auror that had helped them at the scene and led them back to Headquarters mumbled something that resembled 'Dumbledore' and disapparated. They stared at the empty space on the front steps for a moment.

Finally, Faith snorted. "Well, fat lot of good he did!"

Buffy just shook her head. "I actually don't care at the moment." She looked at her sister. "How are you feeling, Dawnie?"

"Hurts…" Dawn said faintly.

"Blimey! What happened?"

One of the twins had exited the parlor at was looking at the three of them with wide-eyed horror. "Is she all right?"

"She will be," Buffy said fiercely. "Is your mother around?"

The young man nodded, and turned to the door that he'd just exited. "Ginny! Run and fetch Mum would you?"

The redheaded girl appeared in the doorway. "Why don't you…" She stopped as she took in the scene in the hallway. "Oh!" She said, her eyes widening in shock. She hurried off without another word. Moments later they could hear her voice echoing through the downstairs as she searched for her mother.

Buffy breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing that Molly would have something on hand that was bound to help Dawn.

"Bring her in here," Fred said, opening the door to the living room. "On the couch, I reckon."

Faith and Buffy nodded, carrying Dawn into the room. They lowered her gently onto the couch. She sank into it with a soft sigh, relieved that she could finally relax.

Buffy looked at Fred and suddenly realized it was the first time that she had seen one of the twins anywhere without the other. They went to the shop in Diagon Alley together. They came home for lunch together. Back to the shop together. Home for dinner together…

And now, seeing only one of them presented a problem that Buffy had yet to face with them.

"There's only one of them," Buffy hissed to Faith, hoping that he wouldn't hear. "And they look even more alike when they're not standing next to each other! Which one is he?"

"I don't know!" Faith hissed back. "When they're together you don't _have _to be able to tell them apart!"

A slightly pinched look appeared on the young man's face as he listened to their conversation. Yeah, really hated it when people had this kind of conversation. They could always ask… not that doing so would guarantee the right answer… He started as Dawn spoke.

"It's Fred," she said faintly from her place on the couch.

Fred looked at her in amazement. It was the first time that someone outside of the family had seemed to have any idea who was who… well, Harry'd always done a right good job of telling them apart, but as he'd told Willow earlier, Harry _was _family…

Faith and Buffy looked over at Dawn and then back at Fred who nodded. "That's me," he said. "And next time, just ask. It's really bloody annoying to be talked about like you're not in the room…"

Buffy looked contrite, but Faith just shrugged.

"No problem," Buffy said. She looked over at her sister and mouthed. "How'd you do that?"

Dawn waved her sister closer. Buffy complied, leaning her head close to Dawn, so her sister could whisper in her ear. What she said caused Buffy to snort softly with laughter.

She turned to Fred. "Would you mind running and getting Ron and Hermione for us? They should hear about what happened out there."

Fred looked at them with no small measure of suspicion, but finally nodded reluctantly and left the room.

"So what's the joke?" Faith asked.

"George had a date," Buffy said. "Dawnie overheard them talking about it earlier. She thought that there might be trouble if the two of us went on any longer, so she stepped in."

Faith laughed. "So George has a girlfriend and Fred doesn't, so that's how she could tell them apart?"

"Whatever works," Fred said, returning to the room with Ron and Hermione in tow. "Didn't have to go far," he said by way of explanation.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands slightly as she approached Dawn.

"Death Eaters," Buffy answered, her voice cold. "The Auror guy that brought us back here said they'd used the cru-something curse on her… and fists of blood?"

Hermione gasped. "The _Cruciatus_?"

"That's it," Faith said. "What is it?"

"Pain," Fred said. "So much pain that it takes away everything else… all you can do is scream…" He looked at Dawn sadly. "And fists of blood you said? Never heard of that one…"

"_Pugnus Cruentum_," Hermione whispered.

"Yes," Dumbledore said from the doorway. "A favorite curse of Death Eaters." He looked around the room. "Auror Handley was a bit flustered when he came to get me… I have a feeling that there was something rather worrisome on his mind. All he told me was that young Miss. Summers had been injured in a Death Eater attack and brought here. If someone would please tell me what happened?"

Molly and Ginny had followed Dumbledore into the room. Molly made her way to Dawn's side, waving Ginny over. She started grabbing bottles out of Ginny's hands and thrusting them at Dawn. "Drink this! And this!"

"Would someone get Giles, Willow and Xander first?" Buffy asked. "Please."

"On it," Faith said.

By the time she returned with the rest of the Scoobies, Dawn was looking significantly perkier. Buffy suspected it had something to do with the 'Pepper Up,' potion that Molly'd made her drink.

Willow paled as she caught sight of Dawn. This was her fault… All her fault…

"Don't you dare!" Dawn exclaimed from the couch, recognizing the look on Willow's face immediately. "It's not your fault that some skeevy evil guy is after you! It just happens! We fight and we deal!"

"Well said, Dawn," Xander said, putting an arm around Willow. "Buff? What happened?"

"We were attacked by Death Eaters while on patrol," Buffy said. "Faith and I were fighting. We wanted to keep Dawn out of it. Our magic," she indicated Faith and herself. "Protects us somewhat from the spells these guys were throwing… Dawn doesn't have that protection… They separated her somehow… I'm not sure how. She was just gone… and then we heard her scream." There was something about Buffy's voice that told them just how horrible that sound had been. "I tried to run to her… and they hit me with a couple of curses in the back. Knocked me out. I couldn't get to her…" Her voice faded out.

Dawn sighed. "Not you too! Enough with the guilt already! I'm okay! The Boy Wonder saved me, okay?"

"Robin?" Xander asked, confusion clear on his face.

That brought a smile to Buffy's face, not to mention Willow, Faith and Dawn's.

"No," Buffy said. "That's what Dawn calls Harry."

"What?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked. The mood of room was suddenly a lot more serious.

Buffy nodded. "I don't know how, I don't know why, but Harry Potter was there… He saved her life," she said softly.

"Where is he now?" Dumbledore asked, his voice grave.

Buffy shrugged. "Ministry custody I think? Last I saw he was getting into a car with Tonks, Kingsley and another Auror."

Dumbledore turned to Molly. "Is Remus here?"

"Out back," Fred said, already on his way out the door to fetch him.

"Severus? Minerva?"

Molly shook her head. "I haven't seen either of them in a while. Who was on duty tonight?"

"Mundungus," Dumbledore said, his voice carefully controlled. "And I'd thought that last year's debacle had cured him of his proclivity towards abandoning his post!"

"He hadn't left," Mad-Eye Moody said, entering the room. "Handley just let me know what was going on. I spoke with Mundungus, who incidentally has not been _alone _on watch since that debacle… Nothing unusual happened. Harry did _not _leave the house that he could tell… But he is not there, nonetheless. His other guards back up Mundungus' story. Harry did not leave the house, so far as any of them could tell."

"So, he used the cloak," Dumbledore said, a puzzled look flashing across his face. Moody nodded. "But why?"

Ron turned to Hermione. "I _told _you he was up to something!" He hissed.

Dumbledore spun towards them. "What do you mean by that, Ronald?"

Hermione glared at Ron and he sighed. "It was just his letters," Ron said with a shrug.

"I thought you said there wasn't anything in them?" Ginny said.

Hermione nodded. "Exactly. There wasn't _anything _in them. Nothing at all. When have you known Harry to just _accept _anything? He hasn't asked any questions or made any demands."

"Yes," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Yes, that _is_ most unlike Harry…"

Fred reentered the room with Remus Lupin. "Fred filled me in," Remus said. "What do I need to do?"

"We need to gather the Order," Dumbledore said.

"There's one more thing," Buffy said. She looked around the room and then leaned close to Dumbledore so only he would hear. "Tonks and Kingsley were really worried… especially when they found out Harry had used a certain spell. It was… not memory, but memor-something…"

"_Memoriae_?" Dumbledore asked softly.

Buffy nodded. "Just thought you should know."

"What is it?" Moody asked.

"Nothing good," Dumbledore said. "Gather the Order. We might have a lot of work ahead of us."

**Ministry Garage…**

Kingsley pulled into the Ministry garage and parked the car in its regular space. The occupants of the car sat silently for a moment.

Finally, Tonks looked at Wood apologetically and turned her attention to Harry. "When we get into that room, Harry, you are going to look into the faces of that council and you are going to _lie_! Do you hear me? No _Memoriae _curse was performed, at least not by you. There was a… a fifth Death Eater or something, who wiped their memories for some reason we can't fathom… _I don't care! _But you are not going to go into that room and tell them that you used a heavily regulated curse on those men without permission! Do you understand me?"

Harry looked at her silently for a moment, too shocked to speak. When he finally did, it was with a hint of laughter in his tone. "You know what Tonks? I reckon I've been a bad influence on you…"

"You think?" Tonks said, rolling her eyes at him. "Never in my life have I instructed a person in custody to _lie _to get themselves out of trouble… _Never_…"

"Don't worry so much," Harry said with a shrug. "I'll figure this whole thing out. Everything will be fine." Tonks looked at him doubtfully and Wood decided that it was his turn to speak.

"I could just…fail to mention that the _Memoriae_ was cast. All evidence of it would be gone by now…"

Tonks sighed. "We couldn't ask you…"

Wood shrugged. "You didn't. I offered." He looked over at Harry. "It seems to be a worthwhile cause you're involved in here, Nymphie."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Don't call me that." She looked over at Harry herself. "And yes, I do believe that it is."

Wood had noticed quickly that Harry seemed to produce deep loyalty in the people around him. They guarded and protected him regardless of the political climate at the time… It was impressive.

"You know, Harry," Wood said thoughtfully. "You're lucky to have so many people about who are willing to help you."

"Yeah," Harry agreed wryly. "It's the upside to having so many people about who want to kill me."

"Oh Harry!" Tonks exclaimed, looking at him with irritation. "Can't you be serious? We're trying to help you!"

"I was being serious Tonks!" Harry exclaimed defensively. "I mean it when I say that it's the upside to people wanting me dead. I mean, really, it's the _only _upside! That people like you, Kinsley and Wood over there, are willing to put so much on the line to protect me. I really do appreciate it! Don't ever doubt that!"

As soon as he said the words, he realized how dangerous they were. Tonks was suddenly looking at him like she wasn't sure whether to hug him or cry.

He cleared his throat nervously and quickly changed the subject. "As for the issue of the _Memoriae,_ I don't want anyone to lie for me. I cast the curse, I can take the consequences… I'll just have to leave my punishment up to the council." He shook his head slightly. He finished the rest of his thought silently, not wanting Tonks to flip out again. '_And then we'll see if they're willing to sacrifice the future of the Wizarding World in order to punish me for cursing a bunch of slimy Death Eaters…_'

Tonks, Wood and Kingsley looked at each other doubtfully, not sure if that was the best course of action… But then, Tonks and Kingsley were getting to really know Harry, and they had no doubt that even if they didn't follow through on what he was suggesting, he would tell the council about the curse himself… So they nodded in agreement. Wood looked at the others uncertainly for a moment before agreeing as well.

"Good," Harry said with a decisive nod. "Let's get this bitch over with." The three Aurors looked at him with shock, their mouths gaping and Harry sighed. That's where watching American movies with Dudley took him… "Muggle reference… sorry." He really missed Hermione. At least she would have understood the pop culture reference… all the while looking at him askance and telling him not to swear.

**Council Room, 20 minutes later…**

Harry was sitting behind a large mahogany table, facing the rather intimidating Council of Seven. There was only one familiar face among the group. Amelia Bones was sitting in the center of the table, obviously in control of this meeting.

Tonks was sitting on a bench slightly behind him, fidgeting nervously. Kingsley and Wood were sitting further back. Harry had insisted on this, not wanting to seem like he had joined with the Aurors against the Council. He had wanted Tonks to join them but she had insisted that since neither the Weasley's, nor Dumbledore would be present, he would at least have someone sitting close to him in support.

Harry had spent a lot of time thinking about how he needed to behave in this meeting... What _role _he had to play, so to speak.

His instinct was to be all contrite, apologetic and to ask for the forgiveness of the Council, begging them not to send him to Azkaban. And that may have worked… last year. But _last _year he hadn't been starting out on the journey he was now embarking on. Voldemort had been out there, but his defeat hadn't rested solely on Harry's shoulders as it did now.

It had taken him a while, but he had recently accepted that weight.

He found that now was the time that the rest of the Wizarding world accepted it as well… or at least the parts of it that were starting to get in his way.

How in the hell was he supposed to defeat Voldemort if he wasn't even allowed to use magic outside of school?

Of course, there was also the fact that he didn't believe that he had done anything wrong. That made apologizing a bit difficult.

So while his palms were sweating, his knees were shaking and his heart was racing, he somehow managed to stare at the Council calmly, proudly… and defiantly.

The room remained impossibly quiet for what seemed like hours before Amelia Bones spoke.

"Mr. Potter, you come before this Council charged with some very serious infractions of Wizarding law. Underage use of magic outside of school. Use of a highly regulated spell without license to do so. Reckless endangerment of the lives of a number of Wizards through the use of said spell. What do you have to say in the face of these charges?"

Harry balked for a moment. Well if that wasn't just putting him right on the spot…

"Well," he said slowly. "Just that you've got it a bit wrong…" He ignored Tonks' hiss of disproval from behind him. "There was no reckless endangering going on…"

Reckless endangerment his foot! They were bloody _Death Eaters_! Who gave a rat's arse if they were 'recklessly endangered' anyway?

"So you deny that you used magic outside of school?" Madame Bones questioned, raising her eyebrows. "Deny that you used the _Memoriae_ curse on four individuals just hours ago?" As she spoke, she studied the young man before her. This was certainly a different Harry Potter from the one who had faced the entire Wizengamot last year. Then he had been nervous and cowed by the power of the people around him. Now…Well, now he was in complete control of himself… and far more calm than she found comfortable.

"Oh, I did it," Harry said defiantly. He heard Tonks gasp behind him and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you got it right. Yes, I used the _Memoriae_ on the blighters… but not irresponsibly… Or 'recklessly'. I'm rather good at that spell, I'll have you know. They were never in any danger of permanent damage." He scowled slightly. '_Unfortunately._' He added silently, knowing that saying it aloud wouldn't have helped his case any…

"Frankly, your defiance in the face of this Council is disturbing me, Mr. Potter." The statement came from an older, matronly looking witch. He believed that she had been introduced as Madam Lesker… or something to that effect. "Have you no remorse for your actions?"

'_That I'm about to get punished for them?_'

No, that wouldn't do.

"Yes," Harry said. "I know that not everything I did tonight was allowed within Wizarding laws… and I feel badly that this, and my… demeanor are upsetting for you… But please look at this from my perspective. I was walking down the street, minding my own business, when I happened upon four Death Eaters…"

"Alleged Death Eaters," one of the Council members intoned, in accordance with Wizarding law.

Harry sighed. "All right then, four '_alleged' _Death Eaters attacking a muggle girl. Now, I could have walked away, obeying Wizarding law by not using magic outside of school and let the girl fend for herself. Would that have set well with any of you? Because, had I done that, I would never have been able to live with myself. And I couldn't very well attack them _bodily_, now could I? Four grown men who _are _allowed to use magic whenever they desire to do so? If I'd done that, I'd be standing here _dead _right now and this whole thing would be a non issue."

Harry heard Tonks gasp again and turned slightly to glare at her. "You know what, Tonks?" He hissed, keeping his voice low enough so that only she could hear him. "This whole thing would be a hell of a lot easier if I didn't have someone gasping in my ear over every other thing I say! _Do _knock it off!"

"Mr. Potter?" Madam Bones said, drawing his attention back to her. "Please direct all of your comments to the Council. Auror Tonks is not here as your friend or as your council."

Harry nodded slightly in recognition.

Madam Bones looked at each of the members in turn and then looked back at Harry. "The Council recognizes the extreme circumstances that you were faced with. These extreme circumstances, however, do not explain nor excuse the use of the _Memoriae_ curse."

Harry shrugged slightly. "I reckon I panicked a bit," he said nonchalantly.

"You _panicked _a bit?" This came from the Wizard at the far right end of the table. Master Hampert? He was looking quite befuddled by Harry's simplistic explanation. "You used the _Memoriae_ because you _panicked a_ _bit_?"

Harry shrugged again. "It is what it is. I have enough people coming after me already. I don't need to give them any more of a reason than they already have… And let me tell you, they have more than enough reason as it is! One of those men was Lucius Malfoy and it just so happens that he saw me quite clearly… I didn't dare let him go with that knowledge… since he will without doubt be on the streets again within a matter of days!"

"Mr. Potter!" Madam Bones admonished. "He is in Auror custody! Are you implying…"

"I'm not implying anything," Harry said, interrupting her. "I'm _saying _it. Lucius Malfoy attacked this very Ministry just last month and was sent to Azkaban for a term of _no less than 10 years_… So why then, was he out attacking Muggles tonight?" Harry looked at each member of the Council individually, his eyes cold. "I'll tell you why. Azkaban prison and this Ministry are not capable of keeping Death Eaters under lock and key… and I'm quite certain that everyone here is aware of why that is the case."

"Our ability to incarcerate Death Eaters is not in question here," Master Hampert intoned. "Our question is what to do about your missteps in this matter… and I must say that your attitude is not endearing you to this Council!"

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry that you don't approve of my attitude, Master Hampert," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "But frankly, I don't have the time or the energy to worry about what this Council thinks about my _attitude_. I have far more worrisome things to consider at the moment… Such as the Dark Wizard who would like nothing more than to kill me and everyone I hold dear." He looked at each member of the council in turn, his eyes serious. He paused for a moment before he spoke. "There is a very good reason that Voldemort tried to kill me as an infant… And it would do you all well to remember that."

"Is that a threat? Are you threatening this council?" The question came from the elderly Jedidiah Abramson, a former auror and a greatly respected member of the Wizengamot.

"Jed, please!" Madame Bones said. This was no time to be loosing your temper…

"No!" Jed said, his slight, ancient body shaking with rage. "I will not be threatened by a boy! You forget yourself Potter!"

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "The threat doesn't come from me. Do what you want to with me. I must say that I'm so tired of this entire business that I don't rightly care. Expel me from Hogwarts. Break my wand. Heck, send me to Azkaban if that's the punishment you deem fitting. Bind my hands, cover my eyes... leave me helpless if you feel you must. I'm three weeks shy of my sixteenth birthday and I have two years of schooling ahead of me… There's nothing that I can do to stop you. But you _must _understand the consequences. You _must _understand that with any of these actions, you are practically handing me to Voldemort and he _will _kill me. He can't afford not to. And when I'm dead, so too will be your hope of his defeat."

"What do you mean by that," Amelia Bones asked. She was a perceptive witch and had a pretty good idea what he meant, but she needed clarification.

"Do you believe in prophecies, Madam Bones?"

Some members of the council gasped and the noise echoed through the small room. Most Wizards were not so foolish as to ignore them, that was for sure. Especially the ones that resided in the Dept. of Mysteries.

"You know what it pertained to, don't you?" Amelia asked. "The prophecy that You-Know-Who was after?"

"Yes," Harry said. "It pertained to _me_." His eyes swept back and forth over the council. "And if you don't believe me, you can ask Professor Albus Dumbledore for verification."

"And what did this prophecy say?" Jed asked.

"I'm afraid that I cannot recite its exact contents in an open forum such as this one," Harry said. "But the overall idea is, _I _am your last, best hope for defeating Voldemort… and I will be _damned _if I'm going to sit back and worry about what rules I'm breaking while trying to stop him or his followers from _killing _me or the innocent people around me!"

Jedidiah looked over at Amelia Bones, his anger at the boy forgotten.

A prophecy, bringing about a destiny greater than anyone should have to bear alone. Such a weight. Such a weight for one so young.

The council was silent for a moment and then Madam Bones stood. She, at least, had heard enough "Please clear the room while we deliberate. You will be called back when we are ready."

The room was soon empty except for the council.

And it remained silent for a number of minutes as the Council sat lost in thought.

Finally Amelia spoke. "I cannot help but feel that punishing Harry Potter for the use of this curse will only hurt us in our fight against You-Know-Who."

Madam Lesker nodded in agreement. "And it simply does not seem right to punish someone for saving a life."

"But what can we do?" Master Hampert asked. "He used the _Memoriae _without the authority to do so. The law in this matter is clear."

"Yes," Amelia Bones said. "The law _is_ clear… But there is something that we can do to get around that. Something that will end the need for hearings such as this one when dealing with Harry Potter and the battle against You Know Who. We can make it so the law works _for _him, instead of against him."

Jed looked at her askance, understanding her meaning instantly. "You cannot mean… It has never been done Amelia! And there _is _a reason for that! Many feel that it should _never _be done!"

"Desperate times, Jedidiah," Amelia said softly. "Desperate times…"

"Indeed," said the small witch to Amelia's right. "I think blanket denial of invoking such a thing is a mistake. We must look at the times we live in Jed. I believe the boy when he says that he is our last, best hope. I have always believed this about him… We must protect him… _at all costs_."

There was a murmur of agreement from most of the council.

"But he's so young," Madam Lesker said sadly. "Barely more than a child. To put such responsibility in his hands…"

"He did not seem like a child to me," Madam Bones said. "Not today. Defiant, yes. Angry as well, but wise beyond his years… and, as Jasminde just stated, _our greatest hope_… and like it or not, the responsibility is _already _in his hands. We cannot expect him to fight and defeat You Know Who while at the same time 'binding his hands' and 'covering his eyes.' If we chain him, we are only helping the enemy… and it is _my _opinion that You Know Who has far too much help as it is. The Wizarding community needs a hero… it _needs _Harry Potter. We must stop fighting him, as Fudge has fought him, to the detriment of _everyone _in the Wizarding community. Instead we must put the entire force of our backing behind him. If the prophecy says what I fear it must… _that _is our only hope."

The Council was silent for a moment and then Jedidiah spoke. "It is time for our vote. But I must remind you Amelia, Article 29-143 can pass by unanimous vote alone."

Amelia blanched. She _had _forgotten that stipulation. Unfortunate for her… and unfortunate for Harry… However, there was nothing she could do now but nod reluctantly in agreement.

Jedidiah acknowledged her agreement and put the question before the council. "All in favor of an immediate article 29-143?" He asked, calling forth the vote. Then to the surprise of the Council, he raised his right hand. "Aye." Amelia looked at him in surprise. After his arguments, she'd been sure… "I am no fool Amelia," Jedidiah said with a sigh. "I simply sought to ensure that you, along with everyone else in this Council, had thought this through. All in favor?"

Amelia nodded and raised her right hand. "Aye," she said.

The rest of The Council followed suit. The vote was unanimous.

For desperate times require desperate measures…

**Minutes Later... **

Harry was called back into the council room and stood facing the Council of Seven once again. It was silent in the room for a moment before Amelia Bones began speaking.

"Mr. Potter, this is not the first time that you have faced consequences for your actions while away from Hogwarts. It is not the first time you've been accused of improperly using magic outside of school… It appears that trouble seems to find you wherever you may be. Is this not the case?"

Harry nodded slightly. Wasn't that the truth!

"Yes, The Council sees this, and has taken your extreme circumstances into consideration."

Tonks and Harry exchanged a look. Well, that didn't sound so bad…

"Based on said extreme circumstances and the likelihood that you will continue to attract the attention of You-Know-Who and his followers… and based on the decision of this Council that you are indeed our '_last, best hope' _for his defeat, this Council has set forth the following decree…"

"We, The Council of Seven, do invoke an immediate Article 29-143, _Proeliatoris_ _Immunitatis, _to become effective at midnight tonight. The prisoner, henceforth to be known as the _Proeliatoris Popularis_, is to be released into the custody of his guardian, or the closest magical equivalent of such, on his own recognizance. Furthermore, he is henceforth exempt from any further charges dealing with the improper use of magic when the one known as You-Know-Who, or followers of the above mentioned, is involved. It is to be left to the discretion of the _Proeliatoris Popularis_ what is necessary in any circumstances involving You Know Who, his followers, or in preparation for the coming battle. Any and all decisions that the _Proeliatoris Popularis_ makes in regard to the one known as You-Know-Who shall be acknowledged by The Ministry as law, finite and unchangeable. This decree shall remain effective until that time, if such a time comes, that You-Know-Who and his followers are no longer a threat to the _Proeliatoris Popularis,_ this Ministry, the Wizarding community and all muggle peoples.That said, the Council would also like to make available any resources that the _Proeliatoris Popularis _deems necessary. Is there anything that The Council can do for you at this time, Mr. Potter?"

"Um…" Harry said, too shocked and confused to figure out what had just happened. He turned to Tonks and hissed. "What did they just do?"

Tonks looked pretty shocked as well, but managed to somewhat explain the situation. "They just gave you immunity, Harry. Your behavior is now up to your own discretion, no one else will have any say in what you do."

"Can they do that?" Harry asked. '_Should they do that? Did he really want them to have done that?_'

"Apparently they can," Tonks said.

"Everything all figured out, Auror Tonks?"

"What?" Tonks said, looking up at the council. "Oh, yes… He was just confused and I was attempting to explain it to him is all…" She turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter?" She said, gesturing towards the council.

"What? Oh…" Harry said. He started thinking frantically. There must be something that he could ask for… something that could help them all… "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" He looked around the room nervously and the council was struck by just how young he looked in that moment. "Well, it's a bit dangerous for me out there right now… and while I came up against four… alleged Death Eaters and did all right, I _am _still an underage Wizard. In other circumstances…"

Amelia Bones nodded in understanding, as did much of the council. In other circumstances he might have been dead.

"A security contingent then," she said. "Of two?" she questioned, looking slyly at Tonks and then Kingsley. Tonks' wide-eyed gaze met her Auroring partners for a moment before falling contritely on her boss.

"Three?" Harry said, ignoring the silent conversation going on around him.

Madam Bones' eyebrows went up at this, but she nodded in agreement. "Fine. Aurors Tonks, Shacklebolt and Wood are hereafter assigned to the protection and assistance of Harry Potter, the _Proeliatoris Popularis_…" She turned her attention back to Harry. "Anything else Mister Potter?"

"Just one more thing," Harry said. "I'd really like to go home now."

Madam Bones started and looked over at the clock. 11:00 pm. She fought back the urge to say, "Oh you poor thing! You must be exhausted,' or something equally embarrassing.

She looked instead to the guard at the door. "Has Mister Potter's guardian arrived yet?"

The guard opened the door and had a short whispered conversation with the guard on the other side. Harry sighed softly. He didn't have a magical guardian, so that meant… his eyes widened suddenly. He looked over at Tonks in horror and noticed that she had a worried expression on her face. Who would they have sent? Surely not Molly Weasley? Or Moody for that matter! That would be…

Harry and Tonks both breathed a sigh of relief as Remus Lupin entered the room, led by a guard. "Remus Lupin," the guard announced, handing a slip of paper to the Council.

Jedidiah studied the paper. "Everything seems to be in order here." He looked at Harry. "I'm sorry Mr. Potter, but there is some paperwork that needs to be taken care of before midnight."

"And he'll also need a signed and notarized copy of both the decree and article 29-143 so that he can be well advised of his new rights under the law," Tonks said. Heck, Madam Bones seemed to be well aware of her familiarity with the Boy Who Lived. Why not confirm it?

"So be it," Madam Bones said, her eyes twinkling slightly in Tonks' direction. "The Council will also provide you with a Ministry vehicle for your ride home, Mister Potter. It will be yours to use until your return to Hogwarts."

"It would probably be best if one of your security detail were to go ahead to your residence," Jedidiah said. "One must be vigilant it the protection of one's last best hope, mustn't one?"

Harry grinned sheepishly at Lupin, who was looking around at everyone with blatant astonishment. Only Harry Potter could face the Council of Seven and come out with the entire place kowtowing to his whim…

Harry looked over at Tonks. "Would you mind?"

"Sure Harry," Tonks said. Oh this was going to be fun to explain to The Order. She nodded to Kingsley and Wood, who approached and joined Harry and Remus. She then took her leave of the group and the council room, heading to the apparation port.

"Should you need any additional help," Jedidiah said, nodding in Harry's direction. "Please owl either Madam Bones or myself."

Harry nodded. "Thank you… Truly, thank you all. You've given me back some of my faith in Wizarding government…" A faith that he had lost with the actions of Cornelius Fudge during the previous year.

"I'm glad," Amelia Bones said with a slight smile. "Now let's see about that paperwork so that you can go home…"

**Number 12 Grimmauld Place…**

Tonks entered Order Headquarters and went directly to the parlor, knowing that was where everyone was likely gathered. She sighed as she saw the rather large group that was convened. They all jumped up when she entered the room.

"Where's Harry?" Molly asked immediately, looking quite distraught. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine," Tonks said reassuringly. "Not a scratch on him, I promise. He's finishing up some paperwork. Remus is with him." She looked around the room. "Professor Dumbledore? Mad-eye? Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? Could you join me in the other room for a moment?"

That didn't sound good at all, but the four of them followed Tonks from the room, ignoring the sounds of protest from those remaining in the parlor.

They entered the library and closed the doors behind them.

"What happened Tonks?" Moody asked.

"They convened the Council of Seven," Tonks said as she collapsed into the nearest chair. She looked drawn and run down and felt worse. Chasing after Harry Potter was certainly exhausting!

Dumbledore actually paled at that, terrified about what her next words would be. The Council of Seven did not take such things lightly… "He's been tried already?" He had thought that he would at least be able to speak for the boy…

"Yes," Tonks said. "He has been tried…"

"On his way to Azkaban then, is he?" Moody asked darkly, with a slight sigh. Dumbledore had told him about Harry's use of the _Memoriae_…

Tonks shook her head. "He told them enough to get them to back down," Tonks said, looking at Dumbledore meaningfully.

"Ahh," Dumbledore said, nodding. "He brought up the prophecy."

"Does it really say what he implied it did?" Tonks asked, interrupting her own story. If it did, well… it really sucked to be Harry Potter…

"I'm sure that whatever Harry told the council was the complete truth, Nymphadora. How did they react to this?"

Tonks sighed softly. "They passed an article 29-143."

This statement produced absolute shock not only from Moody, but from Dumbledore as well.

"Article 29-143..." Moody said softly. "No one has _ever _passed an article 29-143..."

"Well, they did this time. Don't ask me how, don't ask me why." She looked over at Dumbledore. "I think that's why Director Bones went ahead with the Council so quickly… so you wouldn't be connected to what they ended up doing…"

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "An independent act of the Council… Undeniable and complete support of Harry Potter."

Moody looked over at Dumbledore, uncertainty shining in his eyes. "Do you suppose that it was wise of them, Albus?"

Dumbledore could only shrug. "This I do not know. All we can do is hope that Harry is deserving of the faith that we have all placed in him. I do trust him, Alastor. Truly. I do not believe that he will misuse this new power. And I do not believe that this will weaken our cause. In fact, it could very well strengthen it."

"Albus, what is an article 29-143?" The question came from the corner, where Arthur and Molly had been sitting silently through the majority of the exchange. Molly spoke now only out of desperation. She had no idea what this article was and based on Arthur's expression, neither did he.

Dumbledore sighed but answered her. "They have given Harry _Proeliatoris_ _Immunitatis._ Roughly translated that means: Warrior's Immunity. His actions in the fight against Voldemort shall no longer have any _legal _consequences."

Molly gasped. "You can't mean…"

Tonks nodded. "_Anything _he does while fighting You Know Who or his followers will be officially overlooked by the Ministry and all it's departments. His decisions in regards to You Know Who and his followers are _law_. Furthermore, it was stated by Director Bones that _any _help that can be provided to him, _shall _be provided to him. He simply has to ask."

"And what did our young Mr. Potter request first?" Moody asked.

"The protection of a small group of Aurors," Tonks said with a sigh. "Namely me, Kingsley and Anderson Wood. We're officially assigned to Harry and wherever he happens to be at any given moment. Wood and Kingsley will be arriving here with Lupin and Harry in about a half hour."

"Brilliant." Moody said, nodding with a half smile on his face... It was almost grotesque… "I like this kid all the more as I get to know him… Of course, we'll have to initiate this _Wood _into the order first… He's trustworthy, I gather?"

"Well, yes, I do believe so…but Moody, why brilliant?"

Dumbledore answered for him. "Because Harry just gave you an official reason to spend all the time you choose to working with The Order. You're one of his guards… but I don't believe he'll complain too heavily if you do a mission or two for the Order while on duty…"

Tonks eyes widened. She'd been too focused on what had happened in the Council room… too shell-shocked by the events to realize what it all meant. And she had to admit that Moody was right. It _was _a bit brilliant on Harry's part.

"I must admit that I am quite intrigued by what he might do next," Moody said, laughter evident in his voice.

Molly sighed. "I'm afraid I don't share your sense of amusement for this situation, Alastor." She looked very tired… and very sad.

"Where is your sense of adventure, Molly?" Moody asked gently.

"I do believe it died with the last of my hope that Harry would come out of this with at least a shred of his innocence unscathed."

Dumbledore was suddenly very grim. "I fear that hope died with Sirius Molly. All we can hope for now is that he, and the rest of us, come through this alive." He turned his attention back to Tonks. "What does the Minister have to say about all of this?"

"There's not much he can say," Tonks said with a shrug. "The power of his position has been greatly diminished over the last month. The Council of Seven that Harry faced today? That is the greatest power in The Ministry right now, as I'm sure you know. The Minister can lodge a complaint, call for a vote of the entire Wizengamot, but this, of course, is all moot if Fudge doesn't hear of it before it goes into effect and becomes _law_…"

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Amelia Bones is quite the tricky witch, is she not, Tonks?"

Tonks rolled her eyes but nodded. "If he doesn't lodge a complaint soon, it won't matter. The Article becomes effective at midnight."

"And where has The Minister been all evening?"

"Committee meeting."

"Practically unreachable," Dumbledore said with a small smile. Oh yes, he was liking Amelia Bones more and more.

Fudge had been struggling to hold on to his position in The Ministry ever since Voldemort had appeared within its walls, very much alive. It wasn't unusual for Fudge to be in meetings late into the night… some of them not ending until the wee hours of morning. These meetings were usually warded to prevent interruption by anything other than a major catastrophe. And Harry Potter using an unlicensed curse did not apply… This was a fact that Amelia Bones had taken ready advantage of. "Meaning his aides are just about frantic right now, but likely by the time they manage to inform him, there will be absolutely nothing he can do," Dumbledore looked down at his watch. "Unless he does it in the next thirty minutes. Well done indeed."

"So Harry has immunity… but what does that _mean_, Albus?" Molly asked. "What do they expect him to do?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "What we all seem to expect him to do, I gather. Defeat Voldemort and save us all. And it is our job to make sure that he has every possible weapon at his disposal."

He looked around at those gathered around him, all looking as worried as he felt. "Come, they should be arriving before too long. Let's rejoin the rest of the Order."

As they made their way back to the parlor, Dumbledore couldn't help but wonder what Harry would be like when he arrived. The last conversation that they'd had involved many broken objects and yelling. He hoped that this meeting would be an improvement.

But then, Harry had purposefully left the protection of Privet Drive…

Not an action that he'd expected of the young man after the events of the previous month… But again, Harry had done many surprising things in his lifetime… his very existence was impressive in more ways than Dumbledore could name.

Yes, he would just have to wait and see…

Most everyone in the Order was upset by Harry's actions on this night. Many had come to care for him as family. Others saw him as a great hope and felt that he needed to be protected as such. None of them believed that it had been an intelligent action for him to sneak away from his guards…

Dumbledore just hoped that Harry was ready for the scolding of all scoldings when he arrived at Headquarters…

For Molly Weasley could deliver one of _those _all on her own… And with the help of the rest of the Order…

Dumbledore shuddered slightly.

Yes, it was going to be an interesting night… and he was not looking forward to it at all…


	5. Chapter Four

Hello All!

Here is the next chapter! Thirty-two pages long. Apparently I just don't know when to stop;) Anyway, there comes a time when you can no longer reread a chapter and just have to hope that you didn't miss anything and that everything makes sense. This is that time. It takes a long time to proofread and re-proofread that many pages… lol!

I hope you excuse Harry's behavior in the first part of this chapter. I had an internal conversation with myself very similar to the one that Harry has with himself at the beginning of this chapter… and his was the only solution I could come up with.

Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. Previous disclaimer applies. I don't own anything.

LOL! Thanks for the reply **IsiwaruOfCkaloatia**! I take it that means you liked it? Hehehe!

Thanks for the reply **madskillzpro**! I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Thanks for the reply **Legoland**! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter! I must say though that your replies are making me a bit nervous. That's a lot to live up to! I hope I don't disappoint! I am trying to steer away from a lot of the clichés… and I hope that you continue to like the story! Thanks again for the reply!

Thanks for the reply **n1ghtwing**. I'm glad you like it! Here's the next part!

Thanks **TJ6**! I'm glad that you like the story and yes, there has been a lot of thought going into this story! LOL! Thanks again! And about HBP: I know…

Thanks for the reply **Mag**! I'm glad you like it! Here's the update!

Hi **tefla**! Thanks for the reply! I'm glad you're liking the story!

Hi **Pamie884**! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! And I'm glad that you liked the Council scene… and it's not so much that Harry's exempt from the law as it is that he _is _the law… which can certainly make things interesting. Thanks for the reply!

Thanks for reading!

Snowie

**__**

Chapter Four

Ministry Vehicle, Almost at Headquarters…

Harry was glad that it was Remus that had come to pick him up from The Ministry. At least he'd wait until they got back to Grimmauld Place before he started scolding. Harry had a feeling that if it had been Molly Weasley, the entire Ministry would have gotten an earful before they made it out the door.

Not that Remus' silence wasn't disturbing enough in it's own way, but at least it was _silent_.

And it gave him time to think about what he needed to do.

He'd ended up having to spend a lot more time at The Ministry than he'd expected. He'd thought that they'd maybe charge him and then release him, scheduling the trial for another day.

As it was, it had been close to four hours since he'd given Malfoy his invisibility cloak and sent him to the flat… and he was getting antsy.

He had to get into headquarters and out again… and he had to do it _fast_.

He cursed softly under his breath as he tossed out one scenario after another… In the end, there was no getting around it.

He let out a short, annoyed breath. He was going to have reach inside to all those emotions that he didn't even want to think about anymore… and give them free reign.

He was going to have to throw a _fit_… and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Harry sighed softly. So much for all his plans for calmly and maturely discussing his 'issues' with the Order. The carefully thought out and worded lists of complaints and concerns. All that damned work wasted! That would teach him to think too much like Hermione…

Harry closed his eyes and instead let images from the past five years play through his mind. All the things that had happened. The secrets that had been kept. The stories that had been written in the prophet. Wormtail… Cedric… Umbridge… Bellatrix… Voldemort… And let the pain, anger and hatred that came with them wash over him.

He was shaken out of his thoughts as The Ministry vehicle, driven by Anderson Wood, came to a stop in front of their destination.

Harry looked up at Number 12, Grimmauld Place with trepidation. It was the first time that he'd been there, since…

He closed his eyes tightly, fighting back tears as an image of Sirius flashed before his eyes.

Damnit! He couldn't do that! Not right now! If he went in there all teary-eyed and sad, then Molly would just give him a hug and save the scolding for another time… and that just wouldn't work for him, not tonight.

He took a deep shuddering breath and stepped out of the car, not bothering to check if Lupin was following him. Kingsley had apparated ahead, probably to give the Order some warning that they were on their way. Harry and Remus had already informed Wood that he was going to have to stay in the car for a while until they could talk to Dumbledore. They didn't explain the exact problem, but they were pretty sure that he would figure it out when they entered a house that wasn't there…

Remus watched as Harry exited the car and moved slowly towards Sirius' family home. He'd been watching him in much the same manner ever since he'd entered The Ministry to pick him up…

And what he saw was making him nervous.

There was a darkness to Harry that had never been there before. A calm yet deep hatred that lived and breathed under his very skin. All the horror that Harry had seen in his young life had finally laid a permanent mark on his soul. The death of his parents hadn't managed to do it. Nor had the series of attempts on his life. Not even the death of Cedric Diggory had cut so deep.

But watching Sirius die… That had changed Harry in a way that Remus wasn't quite prepared to see.

And he wondered if the rest of The Order was at all prepared for the young man who was about to walk into their midst.

He had a bad feeling about this.

He had felt the tension growing in Harry the entire trip. They both knew what was to come when they walked in that door… but what was worrying Remus was what Harry's reaction to it would be.

He only hoped that the explosion that he felt coming wouldn't destroy everything that they'd been trying so hard to build.

Remus joined Harry at the top of the stairs and they entered the house together. They were met in the hallway by the hum of anxious voices, coming from the direction of the parlor. Harry looked over at Remus and let out a slow sigh. "Guess we might as well get this over with, huh?"

Remus nodded. "Just remember, they were all worried, myself included."

Harry rolled his eyes and Remus felt his stomach clench. Not good. Not good at all.

"Dumbledore's here, right?"

Lupin looked over at Harry sharply. There was something about the young man's tone when he said Dumbledore's name that made him nervous. He knew that the Headmaster had told Harry something important after Sirius' death… Something that neither Harry nor Dumbledore had shared with the rest of the group.

"I'm sure he is…?" His tone was questioning, but Harry ignored it.

"Good. I have some things to share with the group… and it just wouldn't be the same if he wasn't here."

_Bad_. This was very, _very _bad.

It was too late to stop it from happening though. The door to the parlor was already swinging open…

Harry stepped into the doorway defiantly, his stance practically begging for someone to yell at him. Begging for any excuse to start the knockdown, drag out fight that part of him had been itching for, ever since Sirius had died.

He didn't have long to wait.

No less than fifteen people started yelling at him the moment that he walked into the room. Not all of it was scolding… Ron and the twins seemed more interested in how Harry had managed to take down four Death Eaters on his own… but it was _loud_… And due to the state that Harry had worked himself into, _infuriating_.

In the past, he would have pushed down his feelings, taken the scolding and let his anger eat him up…making him pissy and prone to fits of anger. He knew that this tendency was one of the more annoying facets of his personality… one that had made him less than pleasant to be around at times during the last few years.

His new attitude toward life might have prompted him to try to calm the situation down, explain his own feelings… Try to make everyone understand what he had done and why…

But that's not what the situation called for tonight. Tonight he embraced the anger and let it fan his annoyance into a rage.

He let their voices roll over him, until one rose above the crowd. Mothers have a talent for making themselves heard…

"Harry Potter!" Molly Weasley exclaimed. "What on earth were you thinking?"

As her words registered, he focused on her for a split second before searching the room for the main source of his anger...

Molly froze at the cold look in Harry's eyes as his gaze fell on her for an instant before scanning the rest of the room. People stopped talking one by one as his eyes hit them, until the room was silent. Most of the Order was present, plus Ron and Hermione, the twins and Ginny. There were also a few people that Harry didn't know… Including the three girls from the alley earlier that night. That was interesting…

Harry's eyes narrowed as his gaze finally fell on Dumbledore. He answered Molly's question while glaring at the Headmaster defiantly.

"I was thinking that it's my damned life and it was about time that I made a decision or two for myself."

The sounds of surprise that rustled through the room would have been comical under different circumstances. As it was, Snape found himself quite amused, and it put him in a bad mood for the rest of the night...

"Harry?" Hermione gasped, staring at her friend in shock. There was something very wrong here. What had happened?

"Locking me away on Privet Drive isn't going to work anymore Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, his voice holding steely determination. "I refuse to sit on the sidelines and have other people control my life any longer. I'm not going to settle for snippets of information that don't tell me anything about what's going on." Harry looked around the room again. "You know what I've been doing for the past two weeks? I've been _mourning_. Mourning for someone who didn't have to die. Someone who _wouldn't _have died had I been given all the information that I needed to have. And you want to know something else? I'm _angry_. I can't even begin to describe how bloody pissed off I am right now. All of you come here, making decisions, getting to have a say about what's going on… And I'm not invited… Well, one way or another, that's about to change."

"Harry Potter!" Professor McGonagall. "Whatever has gotten into you? Your actions tonight were completely irresponsible. What if you had been injured? What if no one had realized that you were missing in time?"

Harry scoffed. "Everything was taken care of by the time the Auror's showed up, Professor… And if I hadn't taken down the Death Eaters, no one would have even known that I'd left Privet Drive." He turned his head, his eyes locking with Moody's. "Isn't that right, Moody?"

Mad-Eye Moody studied Harry carefully; both real and fake eye moving over the boy slowly. "Quite," he said finally. "Mundungus and the others didn't know you were gone until I informed them… But there's no way of telling if you would have been able to sneak back in as easily as you seem to have managed to sneak out."

Harry shook his head. "Well it didn't seem to be a problem the first four times I snuck out…" But never on Moody's watch. Oh no, Harry was very careful to avoid leaving Privet Drive in the invisibility cloak when Moody was anywhere in the vicinity. "How is your Mother doing, by the way? I think it's bloody marvelous that you take the time to visit her twice a week… always on the same days… so many miles from Privet Drive…"

Harry rolled his eyes as a surprised gasp traveled through the room. Weren't they bloody tired of making that noise yet? He knew it was bugging the hell out of him.

Mad-Eye just gaped at the young man. He couldn't help himself. Then something dawned on him and he found himself smiling, quite against his will. "Someone's been talking to Arabella…"

It amazed him that he had never seen _this _in the boy. That he had never imagined for one moment that Harry was visiting Arabella Figg for any reason other than to escape the Dursleys for a few hours. To learn that he had been using that time to gather information on the Order… Information that he had used to escape from under their guard…

He was actually quite proud… but more than a little scared about what could have happened to Harry in that time.

"Four times…?" Hermione said softly. "Harry… Harry what were you doing? What was so important…?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know… Knowing that I could? Having the chance to be truly alone for once? Preparing myself for something that's coming closer every day? Pick a reason, Hermione. There are hundreds to choose from." He laughed slightly, showing a bit of the teenager that lurked within. "Besides, it was kind of fun to sneak by the entire Order like that… with not one of them being the wiser."

"That's bloody awesome mate!"

Hermione clucked her tongue and looked at Ron with disapproval. "Reckless is more like it," she muttered under her breath. Count on Ron to admire such a rash and dangerous action.

"We're loosing sight of the point here, Harry," Mr. Weasley said gently, trying to get the discussion back to the matter at hand. Trying to get Harry to understand why it was that they were all so upset. "You shouldn't have left your Aunt and Uncle's like that, slipping away from your guards. Everyone was scared to death!"

"How could you be so irresponsible Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked softly. "You could have been killed today! Don't you see that?"

A sound of frustrated annoyance broke from Harry as he shook his head slightly. The scolding was starting to wear on his last nerve…and he didn't have to force the anger any longer.

Besides, the only person who should have been doing the scolding wasn't there, wasn't _anywhere_.

It should have been Sirius…

And that was probably also the reason for his coldly flippant answer. "And that would be different from every other day, how, exactly?"

That one hit a nerve.

"Harry Potter! Don't you dare talk like that! Your life is important to us! To everyone in the Wizarding community! Don't laugh off what could have happened today like it was no big deal! Do you have any idea how terrified we were? You're not a child anymore! You have to think…"

She was so caught up in her anger and worry that she didn't notice the change in Harry's expression. The loss of patience, the growing tension...

Mr. Weasley noticed and immediately laid a hand on his wife's arm, trying to get her to stop…

"I can't believe that you're being so irresponsible about this, so flippant! Do you have any idea what you did? What you put us through…"

Harry ground his teeth, the muscles in his jaw clenching tightly as he fought back a fraction of his anger, struggled to keep it under control… Molly Weasley wasn't the source of his anger… She didn't deserve…

"You should be _ashamed _of yourself, Harry! How…"

And with those words, Harry reached his breaking point…

Something inside him just snapped. His exhaustion, the strain of all that had happened that night and the very real anger that had been brewing in him ever since Sirius died got the better of him. All chance at control was lost and a stream of words burst out of him in a rage-induced explosion. "STOP IT! JUST STOP! _You're not my mother! _There is not a single person in this room that has a legitimate right to tell me what to do! In case you've forgotten, my parents and my godfather are _dead_! _Dead _because of the same damn _prophecy _that's probably going to kill me! My guardians are two bloody stupid _muggles _who don't give a _damn _what I do, so long as it's far away from them! It's summer, we're not at Hogwarts, so someone _please _tell me what bloody right _any _of you have to tell me what to do? I'm almost sixteen years old for Merlin's sake! I am _not _a child anymore! You can't coddle and protect me forever! You tried that already and we all know how bloody well _that _worked out! Sirius _died_, now didn't he? So I'm _done_!" He glared around the room, breathing heavily from the force of his anger and the words that he'd spoken.

The only twinge of regret came when he saw the look of pain on Molly Weasley's face. He hadn't wanted to hurt her… Hadn't meant to say most of what he had just said… He glanced over at Ron and winced. The redhead was glaring back at him. Yeah, maybe not the best idea to yell at Ron's mother in front of him. Ron's redheaded temper exploded when his mother's eyes filled with tears.

"Back the hell off, Harry!" He exclaimed, stepping forward to put his arm around his mother. "Not everything's all about you, you know!"

Harry scoffed. "I wish you were right about that, Ron. I truly do… but you're not. When it comes to this damned war against Voldemort, it _is _all about me."

There was a sadness and finality to Harry's words that made Ron start in surprise. He looked at his friend questioningly. What did that mean?

Harry just shook his head at the question in Ron's eyes. A question that was mirrored in the eyes of everyone in the room. "Ask Professor Dumbledore. It seems that he gets to make all the decisions here, no matter what damage it may inflict."

Dumbledore had remained silent up to this point. He had been watching Harry silently, knowing that he was to blame for the pain and anger that was raging through the young man. Knowing that he was the only one who knew the full story behind those emotions.

When he spoke it was with profound sadness and deep regret. "I am truly sorry, Harry."

All eyes went from Harry to Professor Dumbledore. There was something here. Something that they didn't know about.

"I know," Harry said. "But to be perfectly honest, knowing that doesn't do me a whole lot of good right now. I know that you only want what's best for me, Professor… but I think that it's about time that I have a say in what's best. I'm tired. I am so very tired of this whole thing. You can't use your concern for me as an excuse anymore, it'll only get me killed… and it very nearly did." Harry shook his head slightly and took a step backwards. "I need to get out of here for a while… just…" He stopped speaking as he turned around and opened the door behind him. "Don't follow me," he said softly, but his tone left no room for argument. "Guards, Aurors, friends or Death Eaters… _everyone _will get the same treatment from me today, so I suggest that everyone stay here. Goodnight."

There was a stunned silence in the room as the doors shut behind him. No one moved at first, they were all too astonished by what had just happened. The young man that had just left the room seemed so very different from the boy they had all come to love.

Hermione was the first to speak. "Isn't anyone going to follow him?"

Mad-Eye Moody laughed slightly, the sound holding little humor. "You heard the lad, Hermione. It wouldn't do to underestimate him. He has quite the repertoire of spells up his sleeve… and I'm quite sure that he won't hesitate to follow through on that threat."

"Albus," Molly said softly, her eyes trained on the headmaster intently. "Albus, what did Harry mean… when he said that when it comes to the war with You-Know-Who, it's all about him?"

She needed to know. Needed the answer to that question. Something that would explain not only Harry's comments and anger, but would also explain why it was that Voldemort had entered that little house in Godric's Hollow all those years ago. Why he had set out with the intention of ending a life that had barely begun.

"The prophecy that Voldemort was after, it pertains to Harry," Dumbledore said slowly… He could allow them that much information… but not the prophecy. The prophecy was Harry's alone. "If Harry had known that, if he had known how badly Voldemort wished to see that prophesy… If he had known that Voldemort needed _Harry _to go to the Department of Mysteries to get it, then…" Dumbledore paused.

"Then Harry most likely would not have been tricked into going to The Ministry," Remus finished for the Headmaster, suddenly understanding so much more… Finally understanding what it was that Professor Dumbledore's silence had cost them. "He would have investigated further when he learned that Sirius was in trouble. He wouldn't have gone and Sirius… Sirius wouldn't have died."

"I'm afraid it goes far deeper than that, Remus. Voldemort was not able to fool Harry merely because of what was told to him by the house-elf. Due to the connection through Harry's scar, Voldemort sent images of Sirius in danger to Harry. If I had not been afraid of letting him too close… Of letting _Voldemort _see how important Harry is to me, through that connection… I would have taught him Occlumency myself, instead of giving that job to… another."

"Yeah," Ron said, glaring at the potions master. "'Another' who weaseled out of the deal when it got a little _rough_!"

"Ronald!" Molly admonished, though she looked at Snape askance.

"No, my boy," Dumbledore said, shaking his head slightly in Ron's direction. "Do not lay this at Professor Snape's feet. It was my poor judgment that brought us to this end. Mine alone."

"I still don't understand," Ginny said, going back to something that Dumbledore had said earlier. "Why did You-Know-Who need Harry to take the prophecy?"

"Only one of the people mentioned in the prophecy can remove it from the Department of Mysteries," Professor Dumbledore said. "Voldemort could not very well take it himself. He was, after all, still believed to be dead… and he wanted it to remain that way."

"What does the prophecy say?" Hermione said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"That is, perhaps, Harry's story to tell. Of course, that may have been the problem all along. For it has been his story from the beginning, yet he did not know it. I kept it from him for far too long and because of that oversight… because of my fondness for him, Sirius paid the ultimate price and is lost to us. Harry's anger with me is justified. So too, perhaps, is his anger with everyone here. In seeking to protect him, we have left him without one of his greatest weapons for the fight ahead. Knowledge. I do believe that it is time to rectify this problem. When he returns…"

"If he returns," Ron muttered darkly.

Dumbledore sighed. "Of course he will return, Ronald. For all his angry words tonight, you are his family." In fact, the amount of anger that Harry had spread around had surprised Dumbledore. It was as if he held so much anger about what had happened to Sirius that he couldn't contain it… In fact, it seemed that anything would have set him off…

"But you still haven't explained, Albus," McGonagall said. "Why is it Harry's war? What does the prophecy say?"

Dumbledore looked at her sadly. "That I can not tell you. I rather think that I have taken it upon myself to make far too many decisions for Harry as it is. I shall not continue to do so. If Harry feels that people should know the answer to that question, he will tell them himself. I cannot."

Mad-Eye Moody had been watching the conversation with interest, his mind carefully mulling over the sudden mystery that was Harry Potter and everything that the boy's actions were saying. There was a puzzle there. Something…

When at last he figured it out, a bark of laughter echoed through the room.

All eyes were on him instantly. Some questioning. Some amused. Some exasperated.

Albus Dumbledore just sighed. Leave it to Moody to figure this out. "What is it Alastor?"

"He's a crafty one, that boy. James would be right proud of him."

"What is your point, Moody?" McGonagall asked tiredly.

"Well here we are. Upset, bemoaning all we've done wrong. Talking about everything in the world except what we _should _be talking about."

"Which is?" Remus asked, shifting slightly in his chair. "It seems to me that our concerns are justified and warrant discussion."

"They are and they do," Moody agreed. "I'm not discounting that. I'm just saying that it may not be what we should be discussing just _now_. In fact, it was in order to keep us occupied that young Mister Potter set this discussion in motion in the first place. Where _is_ Harry right now, Remus? Where is he that is _so _important that he had to leave almost as soon as he arrived? Why is it that he insisted that he go alone? That he went so far as to threaten to hex _anyone_ who followed him, including his friends?"

What Moody was saying hit the room like an explosion. Mouths dropped open, certain professors were seen to start sputtering indignantly… and an Auror or two snickered.

Remus just sighed, rubbing his head tiredly. So like James… So impossibly like James. "I don't know."

"Exactly," Moody said, looking somewhat satisfied, but also worried.

"Something else happened," Dumbledore said. "Beyond what Harry told us. Something to do with the Death Eaters… But what?" He shook his head slightly. "He used the _Memoriae_… How could we… so blind! The _Memoriae_ so they wouldn't know it was him that cursed them! The _Memoriae_ for _that_? No, Harry would not be so foolish as to use such a spell for something so… simple. There was something more. Something that _they _knew that _he _doesn't want _anyone _to know… But what?"

"That is the question," Moody said. "But I wouldn't expect him to answer it, not with all the trouble he went to in order to hide it. He'll tell us when he's ready." Moody turned to the others. "I suggest that no one here take anything that Harry said tonight too personally. It was not meant as anything but a distraction… Remember that when he comes to you and apologizes, as I'm sure he will. Beyond that, I believe that whatever it was that prompted this outburst may be far more important to our final goal than we can imagine at this point in time. Harry Potter is no fool. He would not behave in such a manner lightly. I, for one, am going to trust him. I believe that he has earned that right over the past few years. Besides, us worrying and sniping at each other will not bring him home any sooner."

"Yes," Dumbledore said quietly. "I do believe that Alastor is right… Please, all of you, go back to what you need to be doing. We must have faith that Harry will return to us alive and without injury. We cannot 'protect' and 'control' him any longer."

"You're not thinking of taking away his guard are you?" Molly asked, aghast. "Albus…!"

"No," Dumbledore said. "That's not what I meant." Dumbledore suddenly looked very tired… and very old. "I would keep him safe forever if I could, Molly… Hide him away from the world, from Voldemort… but that is not meant to be. Too many people would suffer, Harry included. The guard will stay in place." He turned to Lupin. "Remus?"

Lupin nodded. "I'll speak with Harry about it. I think now that he's here, he'll be a little more accepting… Because we're not sending him back to Privet Drive, are we?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Never again, if that is Harry's decision." He looked over at two of the Aurors. "Tonks, Kingsley, if you would be so kind as to join Alastor and Remus in taking Harry to Privet Drive tomorrow to retrieve his things?" The two nodded and Dumbledore turned his attention back to the group as a whole. "Harry is a full member of The Order as of tonight."

"Albus, no!" Molly exclaimed.

"It's time, Molly. Harry was right. We should have let him in long ago. We are all targets of Voldemort… but Harry is _the _target, the prize… Killing him would be Voldemort's greatest victory. I will have no arguments about this. As of tonight, Harry is a member of The Order." He looked at Molly sympathetically. "You did not honestly believe that we could keep him out, did you? Not after tonight. With all the faith that The Council has put in him, can we, his _family_, show him anything less?"

Molly looked in the direction of her younger children and Hermione desperately, knowing that her last chance of keeping them out of this war was gone.

What Harry knew, they would know.

"Yes, Molly," Dumbledore said, nodding slightly. "If you will allow it, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Ginny will be allowed into The Order as well."

"But they're children, Albus…" They were _her _children, all of them, Harry and Hermione included. She knew that it had only been her protests that had kept Fred and George out of the order for so long. She had resigned herself to the fact that they would soon join despite her protests. They _were _of age after all. But Ron, Ginny and Hermione… They were so young. Too young for this war.

Arthur Weasley put his arm around his wife. "This war has made them grow up too fast, Molly. I know… But they're not children anymore. They're involved in this whether we want them to be or not. Personally, I'd rather know that they were prepared…"

"Do not think that Voldemort is above using children in this war, Molly," Albus said, looking at her sadly. "In fact, I fear that there will be Death Eaters within Hogwarts this very year… There is nothing that I can do to prevent it, not unless they blatantly flaunt it… and we all know that they will never _blatantly _flaunt it."

Molly was silent for a moment, but finally nodded her head in consent. "I won't stand in the way. If you think it's best…"

The five teenagers had remained silent during this part of the discussion, but now they looked at each other, their faces a mixture of fear and excitement. They were going to be let into The Order! They hadn't thought that Molly would ever allow it.

Dumbledore moved on to his next point. "I will take over teaching Harry Occlumency." He looked around the room, his gaze finally falling on the group in the corner. "Ah, yes. Miss Rosenberg."

"Huh, what?" Willow said, looking at him in surprise. "Me?"

Willow, Buffy, Xander, Faith, Dawn and Giles had retreated to the far corner of the room when Harry had entered the room and the yelling had started. They had decided that it wasn't something that they needed to be there for, but since Harry was between them and the door, it wouldn't have been possible to escape. They had decided that hiding was their best bet. They had kept mostly silent throughout the conversation, making whispered comments to each other from time to time.

"Yes, you," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling for the first time that night. "I think that Harry might benefit from the more Wiccan side of magic… Meditation, concentration, learning about the connections between himself, the magic and the earth. I was hoping that you would consent to work with him this summer."

"Ah," Willow glanced at Buffy, her eyes a little wide. "I… I guess so. If he wants me to."

"Relax, Miss Rosenberg," MacGonagall said. "I assure you that Harry isn't usually like that."

That wasn't what Willow had been worried about. "It's not that… And he saved my Dawnie, so he could be as big of a sourpuss as old Sevvie over there." Snape glared at her. "And I'd still help him… I was more on the wiggin' side of the whole teacher thing, actually. But if he's willing, then so am I."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, smiling at her. "I do believe that he would benefit from some hand to hand combat training as well… maybe some weaponry… Miss Faith? If you would be so kind?"

"Me?" Faith asked in surprise. "That's really more up B's alley…"

"I fear that Miss. Summers will be quite occupied with getting The Watcher's Council up and running… That is her responsibility, is it not?"

As the unofficially official head slayer, it _was _Buffy's responsibility to make sure The Watcher's Council was up and running and making sure the new slayers were found.

"It's up to you, Faith," Buffy said with a smirk. "_One_ teenager or a couple hundred."

Faith sighed. Like there was any decision to make there. "I guess I'll be teaching anger-boy some moves then, cause we all know how well it turned out last time I tried to be _you_!"

"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Now…"

"Wait a minute," Tonks interrupted, suddenly realizing that there was someone missing. "Remus, where's Wood?"

Lupin's eyes widened. "Oh bloody…" he muttered darkly. "Albus, Anderson Wood is sitting outside in _Harry's _Ministry vehicle."

Tonks looked as Lupin aghast. "You left him in the car?"

Lupin shrugged. "I couldn't tell him where we were going. Nor could Harry."

"Harry has a _Ministry _vehicle?" Ron asked.

"I think it's time for you kids to get off to bed," Molly said.

"Ah Mum!" George said. He'd known her agreement to let them into The Order had been too good to be true. God, did she even realize that he and Fred were eighteen? _Already _legally adults? To be sent off to bed like four-year olds…

"Not to worry, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I'm sure that Harry will be happy to fill you in on the details." The Headmaster winked at the students. "And I do believe that the sitting room is free at the moment…"

The small group of teenagers exchanged a quick series of looks and then took their leave of the parlor without another argument. The 'grown-ups' weren't the only ones with things to discuss.

Buffy looked at her friends and nodded towards the door. They had some things to discuss themselves… _without _twenty people they didn't know listening in.

As the crowd in the parlor thinned, Dumbledore made his way to the door. "I'll go inform Auror Wood that he can enter. Since he is to be among Harry's guard, we must ensure that he is trustworthy… as I believe he is. Please prepare to question him."

"So we're going to let him into Headquarters and _then _decide if he's trustworthy?" Snape intoned snidely. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"No need to worry, Severus," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "If you manage to prove him untrustworthy, we can just have Harry use the _Memoriae _on him…"

Minerva clucked in disapproval. "Albus! Don't even joke about that!"

"And why would you think I'm joking?" Dumbledore said. "I happen to be quite serious, Minerva. A dangerous curse, yes… but useful in times of such uncertainty."

****

Harry's Flat, Somewhere in Muggle London…

Harry sighed in relief as the familiar form of his apartment building came into sight. One last thing to do tonight and then maybe he could get some bloody sleep. It had been a hellishly long night… and he couldn't help but wish that this part of it was already over.

He had left Phoenix Headquarters ten minutes after the end of the argument… Ten minutes later than everyone had believed. This decision had been made for one simple reason. He needed some things before he left.

Namely, Sirius' invisibility cloak, which his godfather had kept in a trunk in his room, and a multitude of potions… not all of which were designed for healing.

Tonight he was going to find out just who Draco Malfoy really was… no matter what it took.

Harry entered his flat cautiously, his wand held at ready. He might have seen a different side of Malfoy in that alley, but he wasn't about to trust the guy. Not without a hell of a lot more proof than he had at this point.

'Course, he wasn't even sure that Malfoy would _be _there.

And yet he was, laying there on the sofa in Harry's living room… And looking to be in just about the same state he'd been in when Harry's last seen him. Torn robes, abrasions, some good sized cuts… Harry's eyes narrowed. A couple of which were still leaking blood…

Harry sighed. "Stupid Slytherin git!" He muttered rather loudly in annoyance. Probably hadn't taken any of the potions either. Lucky he hadn't arrived to find the idiot dead from internal injuries… or terminal stupidity.

Draco sat up straight at the sound, his hand going automatically to his wand. He relaxed only slightly when he realized that the figure standing over him was none other than Harry Potter. "What was that, Potter?" He muttered, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

Harry shook his head in annoyance. He was not concerned about the ferrety-git! Not in the least… But still… "Damnit Malfoy!" He exclaimed. "You're bleeding all over the sodding furniture! It's _rented _you prat! Don't you know anything about binding wounds and such? You think it's a good idea to just sit around and _bleed_?"

Malfoy glared at him darkly. "Happens I was too weak from _blood-loss _to worry about much besides passing out, Potter. Sorry for ruining your _precious _sofa!"

Harry snorted. Yes, this was going _so _well already. He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a potion. "Here," he said, handing it to Draco. "Take this."

Draco looked at the potion uncertainly. "What is it?"

"Healing potion," Harry said wryly. "It'll take care of any pesky internal injuries…" He paused as Draco continued to study the potion uncertainly. "If I was going to kill you, I'd have just let your father do it. Would have saved me the aggravation…"

Draco glared at him, but uncorked the potion, swallowing it with a look of disgust. Harry pulled out his wand and took a small step forward...

Draco was on his feet in an instant, pulling his wand. "What are you doing?"

Harry snorted. "Put that thing away before you hurt yourself," he said snidely. "I'm just going to stop the bleeding, you prat!"

"They didn't confiscate your wand then?" Draco couldn't help but ask. 'Of course not,' a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. 'He was Harry effing Potter…' "_Memoriae _curse and all…"

Harry sighed. Well, it would probably be in the prophet within the next few days anyway… "Got immunity… for pretty much everything from now on… Now put your bloody wand away and let me take care of those damned cuts!"

Draco complied slowly, though he still watched Harry with no small amount of distrust. Immunity? Like the guy didn't get away with murder as it was… Murder… Yeah, best not to think of that right now…

Harry made a motion with his wand over one of the cuts. "_Expurgo_!" Draco hissed in pain as the cleansing spell washed over the cut. "_Adoperio_!" Harry said and the wound closed over, almost as if it had never been there. It was a good thing that he'd spent the past few weeks studying, healing charms could come in handy… He applied the same spells to the worst of the wounds, with similar results.

"Any others?" He asked.

Malfoy sighed and then winced as he opened his robes to reveal a long, nasty looking gash on his chest. He hissed as he eased the fabric of his undershirt away from his skin.

Harry shook his head. Well, that looked damned painful. He raised his wand. "_Expurgo_!" This time it was all Draco could do not to scream in pain and Harry found himself wincing sympathetically quite against his will. "_Adoperio_!" Harry continued, closing the wound. He then finished with _"Tergeo!"_ siphoning the dried blood off Malfoy, his clothes… and finally the sofa.

"Better?" He asked.

Malfoy sighed, shrugging his robes back into place. "I guess." He sat back down on the couch gingerly, still feeling the bruises and the ache of fatigue.

Harry pulled another vial from his pocket and handed it to Draco. "For bruising and pain."

Draco nodded and quickly downed the potion. Harry studied him carefully, not really sure where to start. Finally he just asked him point blank.

"So what was that, Malfoy?"

Malfoy froze. He knew exactly what Harry was referring to, he just had no idea how to answer such a question. What the hell was that? "I don't know," Malfoy said, wincing as he shifted slightly on the couch. "Moment of weakness?"

"If that's all it was, then you can leave now," Harry said coldly.

Damn but Potter was in a mood! Not that he really blamed him… Draco remained silent for a moment, having realized quite clearly when Harry spoke that he wasn't going to be able to resort to his normal blasé attitude and survive this. He was going to have to take down the walls… and tell the truth… to _Harry Potter_. Damned if his life didn't suck…

"That's not all it was," Malfoy managed to choke out, his voice soft.

Harry studied him for a moment before speaking. "I have to tell you Malfoy, I'm far from trusting you. You've been a complete arse ever since the first time I met you… and yeah, I pretty much hate your guts. You helped make last year _hell _for me. You've attacked my friends on numerous occasions… My _friends_, who are all the family I have. But today you risked your life to save a Muggle. I don't know how or why. What I do know is that your actions tonight are the only reason that you're sitting here instead of being on your way to Azkaban. If it was a fluke, a one-time deal, or a trick, then you will not remember that this meeting took place… Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly," Malfoy said, understanding the implied threat instantly. His face was carefully blank, but he was having a hard time maintaining his expression. He felt like he had missed something important in the past few weeks… When the hell had Harry Potter gotten so scary?

"When I look at you, I see the Prince of Slytherin, a miniature version of your father, lapdog to evil incarnate. And Voldemort… well, let's just say that he can live up to his promises. He can give you more power than you can imagine." Harry's eyes narrowed. "The power to hurt, to maim, to kill. He can give you the power to tear lives and families apart and take pleasure in that, evil bastard that he is." Harry shook his head. "He once told me once that there _is _no good or evil, only power. But he was _wrong_! And if you don't believe that, if _power _is what is important to you, than there's nothing more to say. But if you believe that some things are right, some things are wrong, some things are good and some things are evil… and you want to do the right thing… the good thing, then convince me."

There was silence in the room for a moment as Draco mulled over what Harry had said. As he thought back over all that had happened during the past few weeks… As he came to the most important decision of his life.

"I couldn't just let it happen any more," he said finally. "I've lived my life perfectly content to be Draco Malfoy, my father's son. And I've _always _known who my father is, what he does… But I never _understood_. And then, a week ago, I watched as my father and his friends attacked and violated a muggle girl. I sat by and did _nothing _as they tortured her and killed her." Malfoy shook his head in disbelief. "I just sat there with a smirk on my face, fighting down the bile as best as I was able… And when I was home and alone, I let what had happened replay in my mind… over and over… and I thought that I was going to die." Malfoy looked down at his hands, his face pasty and green. "So, you see, there's a difference between knowing and seeing, Potter. I knew what being a Death Eater meant… but I didn't understand it… I hadn't _seen _what it meant. I'd never watched someone in that much _pain_. It made me _sick_. And they _liked _it. They…" Draco took a deep breath. "I don't ever want to be that person. I don't."

Harry was silent for a moment and then nodded. "Strangely enough, I want to believe you… I just don't know if I can. There has just been so much…" Harry shook his head. "All I can see is Draco bloody Malfoy, Slytherin Prince. That's the only face that you've ever shown me. It's hard to push all of that away _now_… But if that's truly not who you are, now is the time to prove it… cause I have to tell _you_… all bets are off this year."

Draco sighed. "And how the hell am I supposed to prove it, Potter? I can't make you believe…"

"Sure you can," Harry said, pulling a small vial out of one of his pockets.

Draco stared at it in disbelief for a moment. He knew what it was instantly. Nothing else could look so innocent while being so dangerous… well, almost nothing else… "_Veritaserum_…" He breathed, still unable to believe it. "Where…?"

"Come now, Malfoy. Certainly by now you realize that I have a few tricks up my sleeves? Happens that Snape will likely miss this at some point, but it's _not _likely that he'll ever know for sure that I was the one who took it. Serves the nasty git right if you ask me." Even more so if a bit of the damned potion found it's way into Snape's pumpkin juice… and made him spill every awkward and painful secret he had… Harry shook his head. Getting distracted again…

"I may be somewhat impulsive, Malfoy, but I'm not an idiot. Even though there is very little chance that anyone could have known I'd be anywhere near that alleyway tonight, I still have no reason to trust you. This is the only way I can see to resolve this. So the only question that remains is… do you dare?"

Draco was still for a moment and then he nodded slightly reaching for the vial. Harry shook his head, putting the Veritaserum aside for a moment, pulling another vial from his pocket.

"What's that?" Draco said, distrustfully.

"Dissuteum," Harry said. "It counteracts…

"Oppeloveritas. I know," Draco said. And he'd thought that _he _was paranoid! He nodded slightly. "To make sure that I haven't blocked the effectiveness of Veritaserum. Fine." He held out a hand and took the vial, downing it quickly. Harry then handed him the Veritaserum.

Draco let three drops fall on his tongue and a slack look fell over his features.

"All-right then," Harry said. "Where to start?" He looked over at Draco. Might as well start with an easy question. "What's your name?"

When Draco replied, it was in a flat emotionless voice… _more _than a little creepy.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy."

Harry snorted. Figured.

"Why were you in London with your father tonight?"

"My father is searching for the Wandless Witch. We were to capture and question one of her friends in order to get information on where she was. We succeeded in capturing one of them. My father questioned her. She would reveal nothing."

"What happened then?"

"My father started torturing her. The _Cruciatus_ curse, the _Pugnus Cruentum_ curse. She screamed. I stepped in front of her. I was hit by a _Cruciatus_…"

"Why did you step in front of her? What did you hope to gain?"

"Gain?" Malfoy questioned. "Her life. Maybe my soul."

Harry's eyebrows rose at this statement. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"No. Not yet."

"So you're what? In training?"

"Yes."

Harry nodded. "And there are others like you? Other Hogwarts students who have either joined Voldemorts ranks or are being trained to?"

"Yes."

"There will be Death Eaters in Hogwarts next year?"

"Yes."

Damn that sucked! Voldemort hadn't screwed with enough of his life? He had to have minions in Hogwarts now? Harry turned his attention back to Malfoy. "Do you want to be a Death Eater?"

"No."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I can't be a Death Eater. There is no choice there. I simply cannot stand by and watch people die. I've found that it doesn't sit well with me." Harry rolled his eyes. The guy could somehow manage to be a arrogant pillock while under truth serum… "I fear that this means I must join the fight against the Dark Lord."

Harry snorted. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is. It means that I would have to fight at the side of Harry Potter, that entitled, arrogant, self-important prat…"

Harry snorted again, but ignored Malfoy's insults. "Is that what you plan to do? Fight against the Dark Lord?"

"Yes."

"Can you be trusted in this fight? Or will you betray those who fight him and return to your family?"

"I can be trusted. My family has betrayed me and I can no longer in good conscience fight at their side. I have made my choice. I will not turn my back on it."

"You will fight the Dark Lord?"

"I will fight him, to the death if I must. There is nothing else to be done."

"Who is the Wandless Witch?"

"I don't know," Draco said. "My father would not tell me."

Harry nodded, finally satisfied. He pulled another vial from his robes and pried Malfoy's mouth open, dropping a few drops of the new potion on his tongue.

Malfoy blinked and shook his head. "Yeah, don't recommend that," he said wryly.

"You remember anything?"

Draco nodded. "Everything." He looked at Harry warily. "Not mad about the 'entitled' crack are you?"

Harry shrugged. "Hey, I shudder to think what I would say about _you _under truth serum, so who cares? We don't have to like each other in order to work together, Malfoy."

"What exactly do you have in mind, Potter?" Draco asked. He barely knew the guy and he could tell that Harry had some kind of plan already in motion. Probably had since the moment that he'd sent Draco to the apartment… and knowing that was actually kind of unsettling.

"That's up to you," Harry said. "But I do know that from a war standpoint, the best thing to do would be to keep your new, shall we say, attitude, secret."

Draco looked at him uncertainly. "And what would that do?"

Harry shrugged. "Allow you to spy on the Death Eaters and soon to be Death Eaters that will be in Hogwarts next year."

"What?" That was crazy with a side of suicidal!

"I know it would be dangerous. Probably the most dangerous thing that you could ever attempt. If they found you out, they wouldn't hesitate to kill you. 'Course I plan to do my damnedest to make sure that nothing like that happens… If you think you're up for the challenge."

Draco bristled. Harry could see the angry retort forming and held up a hand. "And don't do it just because I can't resist baiting you."

Draco was silent. He _had _been just about to tell Potter he'd be a damned spy out of anger. Probably not the best way to start.

"No one could know," he said finally. "You and me, nobody else."

Harry started slightly. "But surely Dumbledore…"

Malfoy shook his head. "No one else. We can't have anyone acting strange around me. It would get me killed."

"But Dumbledore wouldn't…"

"Sure, he could pull it off, but he'd probably want to tell other people. Just, no, okay?"

Harry nodded finally. "So you think I can be trusted not to act strange around you?"

Draco shrugged. "I think we both know that we hate each other enough to pull this off."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at that. Malfoy was probably right on that one. "So you'll do it? You'll spy on your house? Your friends?"

Draco sighed. Could he do that? For their own good and his own, he would certainly try. Draco shrugged and then nodded. "Yes. I will."

"Okay," Harry said, nodding. "There's some food in the pantry if you're hungry. Bedroom's through there." Harry pointed to one of the doors out of the living room. "There should be some clothes in the dresser for you to change into. Bathroom's there." Harry pointed to another door.

Draco nodded slightly, a puzzled expression on his face. That was it?

"You should get some sleep. We have a lot of planning to do over the next few weeks. You can stay here until we figure out a way for you to spring your father from Azkaban…"

Draco gaped at Harry in shock. "Do what, now?"

"Spring your father from Azkaban…" Harry repeated. "Well, maybe not… We'll think about it. It would certainly get you in good with Voldemort _and _your father. Besides, if he's going to escape anyway…" Harry shrugged. "We might as well benefit from it. How's your father at Legilimency, by the way?" Draco shrugged. "We should prepare you somewhat anyway. There might even be a potion…" He'd have to ask Hermione about that later. "Anything you need before I go?"

Draco shook his head slowly. Not that he could think of anyway. As a matter of fact he'd rather given up on thinking for a while. Hadn't quite been able to manage a clear thought since Harry had mentioned the possibility of freeing his father from prison.

Bloody nutters, that's what the guy was.

And maybe, just a tad bit, brilliant.

"Good," Harry said. "Get some sleep. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Alone." After a very long serious talk with his bloody armed guard.

Harry shook his head slightly. Time to go back to Headquarters and start making some apologies. "Good night," Harry said, heading for the door.

He had just reached it when Draco's voice stopped him. "Potter?"

"Yeah?" Harry asked, turning to look at the other boy.

"Thank you." It hurt to say it, but at the same time, it had to be said.

Harry looked at him for a moment and then nodded. "You're welcome." He left without another word.

Draco sighed and looked around the apartment before heading to the bedroom to grab some clothes. Shower, food and then bed. He had a feeling it was going to be a long bloody summer.

****

Library, Order Headquarters…

The Scoobies exited the parlor and made their way to the library. When the door was closed behind them Buffy flopped down on a sofa. "Well that was interesting."

Everyone laughed slightly, thinking back on the past few hours. The panic that had run rampant through the house when everyone had found out that Harry had snuck past his guards and gone to London. That he had happened across the Death Eater attack on Buffy, Faith and Dawn… and that he'd taken out four of them before the Aurors had arrived. Waiting for Remus to pick him up and bring him back to Headquarters. The long and loud argument that had followed…

Buffy had winced the moment that Harry had walked in the door. It wasn't at all surprising how quickly the conversation had gone downhill from there.

No one likes being ganged up on.

"Well, I don't know about all of you, but I certainly learned a lot," Giles said. "There is nothing that gets you information faster than watching a good fight between friends."

Xander rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

"And I thought you were strict," Dawn said jokingly, elbowing her sister in the side. "Poor guy has twenty of you looking over his shoulder." She'd certainly felt sorry for him, though some of the things he'd said had made her wince… He hadn't held much back, that was for sure.

"Yes, well," Giles started. "He seemed a bit more… angry and irrational than I'd expected him to be…"

Buffy laughed. "Giles, you of all people should understand where he's coming from… I mean, you've only been my watcher for what? Seven years? And I think that we've had more than one blow out along those very lines!"

Giles sighed. That was true. Harry was, after all, a teenager. "Quite."

"What do you think, Wills?" Buffy asked.

Willow was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words to express herself. She had watched Harry carefully throughout the whole argument and felt like she'd gotten a pretty good read on him. "He was very angry, but he wasn't irrational, Giles. He could have held all of that in. He wasn't even all that angry with anyone but Albus… Though Molly did hit a sore spot with her scolding. Not sure what that sore spot _was _exactly, but I got the feeling that he just let everything go at that point…" She shrugged slightly. "And I think that 'Mad-Eye' guy was right… He needed to get out of here and that was the fastest way."

"I agree with Red," Faith said. "Angry, but not irrational. He was letting the anger drive, sure, but only 'cause he wanted out of here."

Buffy studied her sister slayer carefully and suddenly grinned. "And you thought it was cute!"

"What?" Faith exclaimed. "Did not!"

"Oh, you totally did!" Buffy said. "You thought he looked damned hot while throwing that tantrum! Don't deny it!"

Faith smirked and gave in with a shrug. "Well, you gotta admit, anger looks good on the boy…"

"Eww! Faith!" Willow exclaimed. "He's like sixteen!"

"And I'm what? Dead? I'm only nineteen, not ancient like you!"

Willow made an outraged sound. "I'm only twenty-two!"

"And how old was Kennedy when you two started rocking the house? Only seventeen, now wasn't she?"

"You're not actually going to go after him are you?" Buffy gasped.

"That's not what I'm saying," Faith said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'm merely defending my right to call the guy hot, that's all."

Giles cleared his throat. "As relevant as this conversation is, may I suggest that we get back to the matter at hand?"

They all looked contrite, but there were mischievous looks on their faces as they chorused, "Sorry Giles!"

Giles shook his head at the chorus of apologies. "All right then, what's next?"

Faith shrugged. "You and B get the Council up and running while Red and I do what we can to train anger-boy… yes?" She shook her head. "What's Dumbledore _thinking_…"

"Faith, you'll do fine," Buffy said. "Besides, Dumbledore seems like a shrewd and tricky old guy to me. Bet he has some reason for wanting you and Willow to train Harry."

"I do believe you're right," Giles said. "He does seem to have some sort of plan in mind for you two."

"Great," Willow said with a sigh. "I just hope he's not planning on me teaching Harry how to flay Voldemort alive, cause it's not gonna to happen."

"And on that note, who's for a snack?" Xander said jokingly.

"Ooh, me!" Dawn said. The others looked at her and she shrugged. "What? I'm hungry."

"Me too," Faith said. "Let's go find some grub."

"You guys go ahead," Buffy said. "Giles and I have some things to go over."

"Sure," Willow said. She followed Faith, Dawn and Xander out of the room.

Buffy turned to Giles. "So what's the latest on the Council?"

****

Sitting Room, Order Headquarters…

Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George made their way into the sitting room and shut the door behind them. They were silent for a moment, thinking about what had just happened.

"Dumbledore said Harry used the _Memoriae_ on the Death Eaters," Fred said suddenly. "Where do you reckon he learned that one?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know where he learns half the spells he uses."

Hermione sighed softly. "He struggles with something like _Accio_, yet he throws around the _Memoriae_ like it's nothing."

Ginny snorted. "I doubt that he used it like it was nothing Hermione. You know as well as I do that he'd only use that curse with a very good reason. I just hope that he tells us what it is."

Hermione sighed. "I wouldn't count on it."

"What I want to know is why You-Know-Who needed that prophesy so much," Ron said, turning the conversation away from Harry's likely secrecy. "What do you think it said?"

Ginny shrugged. "Something to do with Harry and the war, obviously. Don't know what. As for why You-Know-Who would want it…." Ginny shrugged again. "Guess he was hoping to figure out how to kill Harry."

"Yeah," George said. "Since that seems to be the focus of his life."

"Poor Harry," Fred said, shaking his head. "Having a Dark Lord obsessed with killing you has got to suck…"

"There's more to it than that," Hermione said. "Weren't you listening to what Professor Dumbledore was saying? Honestly, sometimes I just don't know…"

"Oh, get on with it," Ron said with annoyance, not in the mood to listen to her talk about their lack of perception. "Stop prattling on about how much smarter you are than us and tell us what you noticed!"

Hermione glared at him, but relented. "Dumbledore said that Voldemort…" Everyone in the room flinched, but Hermione forged ahead stubbornly. "Needed Harry to take the prophecy because he couldn't go into The Ministry without the Wizarding World becoming aware that he was alive."

"Yeah, heard that, Hermione…" George said sarcastically. "I may be a little slow, but I do understand English."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's not the point! He also said that one of the protections on prophesies is that only the people who it pertains to can take it from the prophesy room… But Dumbledore didn't say that Voldemort couldn't take it himself for _that _reason. He said that he couldn't take it because he didn't want anyone to know he was alive, meaning that if he had gone to the room himself, he _could _have taken it. The prophecy isn't only about Harry, it's about Voldemort. In fact, I would guess that the prophecy is probably the reason that Voldemort tried to kill Harry in the first place."

"Damn!" Ron said, his face pale under his freckles. "Harry even said it. The prophecy killed his parents and Sirius… and that it would probably kill him."

"Prophecies don't kill you."

The group of Weasley's plus Hermione turned towards the door at the sound of Buffy's voice. They hadn't realized that she'd entered the room until she spoke. Her voice was quiet, but firm.

She stepped closer, joining them in the middle of the room. "Don't give it that much power… Don't let Harry give it that much power. It's not the prophecy, it's the way that you react to it that matters."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

Buffy looked at the group gathered before her. She'd only known them for a few weeks, but she had been impressed by not only their attitudes, but also stories of their bravery. She could trust them with this story, as hard as it still was for her to tell. "Have a seat," she said, pointing to the sofa and chairs. They all sat, Buffy perching on the arm of one of the sofas. "This might take a while."

Buffy looked around at the gathered group and took a deep breath. "When I was sixteen, there was a prophecy that stated that I would face the Master, who was the big bad of the time… an ancient vampire… and that I would die…"

Over the next hour Buffy told a lot of stories from her times in Sunnydale, explaining all the prophecies that she had faced. What they'd said and how they'd actually turned out.

When she had finished the last story, she looked at each person in turn. "So you see, you can't take prophecies at face value. I was prophesied to die… and I have, twice… and yet here I am, walking around, fit as can be. That's the thing about prophecies. They have a tendency to be self-fulfilling and they're almost impossible to truly understand, except when they've already been fulfilled…"

"You have a lot of insight on prophecies, do you?"

Everyone in the room started and looked around at the sound of the voice. Harry was in the room… somewhere…

There was a swish of material and Harry was suddenly revealed walking towards them from the direction of the doorway.

"Wicked!" Buffy murmured, staring at him in awe.

He looked tired. His clothes were wrinkled and covered with dirt and… was that blood? They hadn't noticed the blood the last time he was here…

"Harry!" Hermione launched herself off the couch and into Harry's arms. "Are you okay?"

Harry laughed. "Now that's more like it," he said, hugging her tightly. "Missed you 'Mione."

"Missed you too," Hermione said, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt. "We were worried."

Harry sighed and stepped back from her embrace. Not that again. "Now Hermione…"

Hermione held up her hands in surrender. "No scolding. Honest. Just, we were worried…"

"Yeah, mate," George said, stepping forward and slapping Harry gently on the shoulder. "People were going nuts…"

"But not us," Fred said, winking at Harry. "We knew you'd come out of it alive…"

"Maimed perhaps…"

"Even mutilated…"

"But we reckoned you're too damn stubborn to die…"

"Thanks… I think," Harry said with a short laugh, shaking his head.

He turned his attention to the two remaining people in the room… Both of who were oddly silent. "Ginny?"

Ginny was looking slightly torn. Finally she walked over to Harry silently and gave him a quick hug. "Good to see you Harry."

Harry returned the hug. "You too, Ginny."

"But don't ever talk to my mother like that again."

"I know," Harry said softly, his voice contrite. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Ron exclaimed. "That's it?"

"No, that's not it, Ron, but what do you want me to say? I was wrong, but so was she!"

"But you can't just go talking to my mother that way, Harry," Ron said, still peeved at his friend. "You just can't!"

"I know, Ron," Harry said calmly. "And really, I appreciate everything that your family has done for me the past five years. It's meant more to me that I can begin to explain… But she has to remember, has to realize… that she's _not _my mother… and even if she were, she couldn't protect me from this. None of them can. It just _is_. It's who I am, who I need to be. If they're keeping things from me, than they're in the way. I can't defeat Voldemort if I'm hidden away on Privet Drive waiting for him to figure out how to kill me. If they don't realize that, then Voldemort's already won…"

"They realize it now, Harry," Hermione said softly. "Dumbledore's already said that you're to be made a member of The Order, us too, since they figured you'd tell us everything anyway. He's going to be teaching you Occlumency and if you want, Willow's willing to help you too."

"Willow?" Harry asked in confusion. He'd never heard that name before.

Hermione nodded. "Willow Rosenberg. She's a Wicca. She's here with Buffy," Hermione nodded towards the petite Slayer.

Harry looked over at her, starting slightly. He had almost forgotten she was in the room. Looking at her now, he got a hint of the same feeling he'd had upon first seeing her in the alley. The feeling that there was something a bit off about her… He pushed the thought aside as he realized that he was staring…

"I'm sorry," Harry said suddenly, blushing slightly. "How rude of me! We didn't have the chance to be properly introduced in the alley, what with the hugging and me being scolded and whisked away like a naughty child… I'm Harry Potter." He held out his hand to her.

Buffy grinned as she took it. "Buffy Summers." Aw, he was blushing again! That was so cute! She finally understood what Hermione meant when she said he was charismatic when he wasn't in a pissy mood. Buffy had liked him well enough when he'd been screaming. Now that he was all shy and polite and blushing she decided that he was absolutely adorable.

Especially considering the fact that he'd saved her sister.

Yeah, big points there.

But her thinking him adorable wasn't to say that he seemed weak. No, Buffy knew power when she saw it, and this boy had power.

And she had recently decided that it was part of her mission to make sure that he was ready and prepared to use it.

"So what's this prophecy that you and old Dumble are so worried about?"

Harry looked at her silently for a moment. There was something about her that made him want to trust her… as his friends obviously did… but he couldn't. He'd learned that much over the past five years.

"Why should I trust you with something so important?" Harry asked, his voice suddenly cold. "I don't even know you."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, but Buffy just laughed.

"Yeah, they really don't give you enough credit, do they?" She said, smiling at him. "You may be young, but you're not a child…not anymore… But take my advice, Harry. Hold on to as much of your childhood as you can, don't let go of it entirely. Take what moments you can get, live life to the fullest… cause tomorrow, you might be dead."

"Ack!" Willow said as she and Xander entered the room, catching the tail end of Buffy's statement. "Not the Buffy 'seize the day' speech! Are we forgetting how it almost got me killed?"

Buffy laughed again. "Hey guys. Where are Dawnie and Faith?" She knew where Giles was. She'd left him muttering over some old text or another not long before.

"Someone say my name?" Dawn asked, bouncing into the room with Faith trailing behind her.

"So this is where the party's at," Faith said, taking in the group of people in the room. "I was wondering why Dawn and I were all alone in the kitchen with creepy-eyed guy." She caught sight of Harry. "I see anger-boy's back. What's the sitch?"

Harry was fast becoming overwhelmed. Who the hell were all these people? Sure, he recognized the other two girls from the alley, but that in no way explained what they were all doing here!

"I was just about to tell Harry all about us," Buffy said. "Because he asked a very good question."

"Oh?" Xander said. "And what question was that?"

"Why he should trust us… or more specifically, me," Buffy answered. "I thought a little of the life story might help him out some…" She paused for a moment, thinking back on how Harry had entered the room. "But first I want to know how the hell he appeared out of nowhere!"

"Well, duh," Xander said. "Don't Wizards apparate all the time?"

"No popping," Buffy said. "Just swishing as he took off that cape thingy over there." She pointed to where Harry had laid the invisibility cloak.

Hermione laughed. "It's an invisibility cloak. They're very rare." She glanced at Harry. "It belonged to Harry's dad."

"Actually," Harry said, his eyes twinkling slightly. "That one there belonged to Sirius. I snagged it before I left here earlier." He drew another cloak from his robes and tossed it onto the chair beside the first. "_That _one belonged to my father…"

"Harry!" Hermione whispered, her eyes wide with amazement. "What…?"

Harry shrugged, wishing that he'd resisted the temptation to tease her. "Not important. I believe that there was about to be a story?"

"Are you sure now's the best time for that?" Faith asked, her eyes studying Harry intently. "You look like you're about to drop."

At her words everyone focused on Harry, suddenly realizing just how tired he looked. He squirmed slightly under their sudden attention, but couldn't help but admit that the girl was right.

"Oh yeah," Buffy said. "Probably right Faith. He looks like he's about to fall asleep on his feet." She looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Likely because it's almost two. Dawnie! What are you doing up? No research means early to bed!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like when you were my age this wasn't your 'going out' time rather than your bedtime."

"It was my destiny!" Buffy exclaimed. "Yours involves normal things… like bedtimes!"

Harry focused on the two girls and then smiled slightly at Dawn. "So you're feeling all right then?" He asked. "Last time I saw you, you were barely conscious."

Dawn beamed at him. "Never better," she said, starting to speak very quickly. "Molly patched me up, gave me some potions." She bounced slightly on her feet. "Oh, and thanks for saving me and all! Course, I don't actually remember that part. It's pretty much a blur from the moment that first curse hit me, but everyone says you pulverized those icky death guys..." Here she took what appeared to be her first breath since starting.

Ginny snorted slightly, watching the girl with amusement. "Yeah," she said. "But if we ever have to heal you again I'm going to tell Mum to take it easy with the Pepper-up potion."

Everyone laughed and Dawn blushed.

"Yup," Xander said with a grin. "Our Dawnie doesn't have much need for artificial perkiness…"

"Yes well," Dawn said. "Off to bed then. See you all in the morning."

Everyone laughed again and started for the door.

"Before we go," Fred said, causing everyone to stop. "I just gotta know, Harry. Why the hell do you have a Ministry car and a security detail now?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh slightly, but then he sighed. Like that explanation wasn't going to take all night. So much for sleep… "The Council passed something called _Proeliatoris_ _Immunitatis."_ Hermione gasped and Harry brightened. "And apparently Hermione can explain what that is. Just as well. I don't think I quite understand it yet myself."

"Tomorrow," Hermione said, seeing just how tired Harry was. "He has immunity," she said, as Ron started to protest. "He can use his magic whenever he wants to, whatever spell he wants to and no one can touch him. All right?" She ignored the shocked looks and stuttered questions from the group, as did Harry. "We can talk about the rest of it in the morning."

"Yeah," Buffy said, nodding. "We definitely have a lot to discuss tomorrow. Good night everyone." Everyone returned her goodnight and the wizarding teens turned to go. "And Harry?" Harry stopped, looking back at Buffy, a questioning look on his face. "I know that in your world, it's a lot harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys than it is in ours… but we are on your side in this. And thank you again… for Dawn."

Harry nodded slightly. "You're welcome… and I'll think about that…"

Buffy smiled at him. "Good. See you in the morning."

Harry nodded and followed his friends out the door.

As Harry headed off to bed with his friends, the Scoobies could hear Ron and Fred filling him in on Willow and Snape's confrontation earlier that day. The last thing they heard as the teenagers disappeared up the stairs was Harry saying, "And none of you thought to take a picture? You call yourselves my friends!"


	6. Chapter Five

Ah yes! As amazing as it may seem, this is indeed an update. I won't bore you with the stories of writer's block and minor disasters that kept me from updating for so long. Most of that junk is pretty boring. I'll just say that I'm hoping that things are back on track and that it won't be anywhere near as long before the next chapter is posted.

That said, here is the next chapter. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but it's as good as it's going to get. I hope you like it!

Thanks to all who have replied in the past! I appreciate it! Let me know what you think!

Snowie

Chapter Five

Phoenix Headquarters

Harry woke early the next morning, a sense of deep unease almost overwhelming him. It took him a moment to remember where he was. To remember what it was that was causing his disquiet.

And then the events of the night before came back to him… bringing with them a profound sense of guilt.

There were many present the night before who hadn't deserved the words that he'd thrown at them. And only a few who had.

Molly Weasley hadn't deserved the things that he'd said. And he knew that he wouldn't feel right again until he'd apologized.

"No time like the present," he muttered under his breath. He looked over at the other bed in the room and was relieved to see that Ron was still sleeping. He slipped silently out of bed. He went into the bathroom and took a quick shower before dressing and sneaking downstairs.

He found Molly already at work in the kitchen, just as he'd expected. He watched her work for a minute, aware that she was as yet oblivious of his presence.

She was singing softly under her breath as she prepared a large breakfast for her family…which now included many surrogate members. A family that he was eternally grateful for being a part of.

"Mrs. Weasley?" He said softly.

He saw her start in surprise and turn to face him. "Harry!" She exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest. "You scared the life out of me. What are you doing up so early?"

Harry smiled slightly. "Couldn't sleep," he said wryly. He took a step closer to her, a sorrowful look on his face. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, dear," Molly said, wiping her hands on her apron. She walked over to him and placed a hand on him arm, leading him to a chair at the table. They both sat down. "What is it?"

Harry took a deep breath and looked down at his hands. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry about what I said yesterday."

"Oh Harry," Molly said softly. She took his hand and squeezed it gently. It hurt her to see him in so much pain… as much as it had hurt her the night before to hear his words. Even knowing that he was right. That she wasn't his mother… that didn't prevent her from feeling like she was. Like someone had to see him as their child first and as Harry Potter, savior of the Wizarding World second. As his parents would have.

"I wasn't angry with you, I was just… reacting… Because I wanted it to be Sirius standing there, scolding me for what I'd done. I… It just hurt so much that he wasn't here. He's _supposed _to be here."

"Oh Harry," Molly said again. "I understand that. I do. Though the thought of Sirius scolding you…" She smiled sadly and Harry grinned wryly in response.

"I know, about as likely as Fred or George ever scolding me. Instead, he would have been asking me why I hadn't let him in on the prank."

Molly nodded in agreement. "He loved you a lot Harry. You were friend, brother and son to him, all rolled into one. But he's not the only one who loves you. Arthur and I look on you as a part of the family and that will never change. You understand that, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "I know. And it means more to me than I can possibly begin to explain. You are the closest thing to a mother that I've ever had and I'm thankful every day that you opened up your lives to me, especially with all the baggage I bring along."

Molly sighed. That damned overactive conscience of his. "Harry, you do realize that Arthur and I started opposing You-Know-Who long before we met you? And that our children would have as well, with or without your influence? We are targets because of our decisions, not because of our fondness for you."

It was Harry's turn to sigh. "Yes, I know that. I just… it feels like I'm putting you all in even more danger."

"And we wouldn't have it any other way."

He turned to find Ron in the doorway, a small smile on his face. Hermione was two steps behind him, nodding her agreement to his words.

Harry smiled faintly in return, unable to shake the feeling of responsibility. "Still…"

"Still, nothing!" Ron said, entering the room and taking the seat next to his mother. "We choose to stand by you Harry. We choose to take a stand and defy Voldemort and all he stands for. It's our choice… And you have to accept that."

"I agree," Hermione said. She joined them in the kitchen, an intensely serious look on her face. "We chose your side a long time ago, Harry. It's the right place to be. It's where we _want _to be. It's not fair of you to try and take that choice away from us."

Harry blanched slightly at her words. He'd never thought of it like that… Never dreamed that by trying to protect his friends he would actually be interfering with their own choices and beliefs.

Ron smirked at the expression on Harry's face. "Sorry mate. Like it or not, Hermione and I aren't about to let you face Voldemort on your own. Your fight is our fight."

"Besides," Hermione said with a slight shrug. "You'd do the same for us."

Harry looked from Hermione to Ron and then over at Mrs. Weasley, who was watching them all with both pride and fear evident on her face.

Harry took a deep breath. "I… I really don't know what to say. Just… thank you."

"No problem, mate," Ron said with a grin.

The three of them just smiled at each other for a moment before Harry finally shook himself. He had a lot to catch up on.

"Enough of this life and death nonsense," he said. "Who the heck are all these new people running around Order Headquarters? And why is He-Who-Is-Annoying-As-All-Hell after them?"

Ron snorted softly at Harry's moniker for Voldemort, while Hermione and Mrs. Weasley managed to look disapproving and amused at the same time. As Hermione begin to explain, Mrs. Weasley stood and returned to making breakfast.

"Well," Hermione said slowly. "They call themselves the Scoobies…" Harry snorted at this and Hermione threw a faint smile in his direction. "I know. I haven't quite gotten any of them to explain it clearly yet, but…"

"Focus, Hermione," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

Hermione glared at him, but consented. "Anyway, Buffy and Faith are Vampire Slayers…"

"Hold it!" Harry exclaimed, interrupting her with a look of disbelief on his face. "Vampire Slayers, plural? What about that whole 'one girl in all the world,' thing?"

Hermione gaped at him in surprise. He knew what Vampire Slayers were? How was _that _possible? _She'd_ had to look up Vampire Slayers after finding out who Buffy and Faith were. To have Harry spout off part of the legend from memory was a bit of a shock.

Harry noted her look… and didn't take too kindly to it.

"What?" He said, looking at Hermione with annoyance. "I can know things! Besides, who tutored who in Defense Against the Dark Arts last year?"

Hermione had the grace to look sheepish and Ron laughed. "He's got you there, Hermione!"

Hermione glared at Ron for a moment before smiling apologetically at Harry. "Sorry… It's just not often that you know something that I had to look up."

Harry looked at her silently for a moment and then laughed. Well, there was that…

"Please continue," he said with a grin. "I'm curious about the whole 'more than one slayer' thing."

Ron snorted. "Well, according to Buffy, she kind of died."

"Ah," Harry said. His eyebrows drew together. "Only kind of? Interesting… and a little bizarre."

"Her friend Xander did CPR," Hermione said. "And that explains how Faith became a Slayer… Of course, thanks to Willow, it's not only the two of them anymore. She activated every potential slayer in the world."

The significance of that statement wasn't lost on Harry. He swore softly under his breath, ignoring Hermione's disapproving glance. "The Wandless Witch!" He exclaimed softly. "Well, that certainly explains why Voldemort's after her!"

Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry in surprise. "How did you know that it's Willow he's after?"

Harry shrugged. "The Death Eaters were questioning Dawn about the Wandless Witch last night. I heard them while I was moving into position."

Hermione studied him silently for a moment. "What else did you learn while 'moving into position' Harry? What happened last night?"

"Nothing," Harry said, his tone stating clearly that she wasn't going to get more out of him than that.

Hermione exchanged a glance with Ron, but they let the subject drop… for now. Harry knew that they'd wait until they had him truly alone before annoying the hell out of him with questions. He couldn't wait…

"So yes," Hermione said, returning to the previous topic of conversation. "Willow is a wandless witch. I believe she refers to herself as Wiccan." Harry nodded. "Then, there's Giles… I don't think that you met him. He's Buffy's Watcher."

Hermione looked at Harry questioningly and he nodded again. Yes, he knew about the Watcher's Council and their purpose/role in Slayer lore. He'd also read about the destruction of the Watcher's Council earlier that year.

"So they came to England to… rebuild?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"But somehow, Voldemort got wind of them being here and decided that he wanted Willow for himself?"

"That's the consensus," Hermione said. "As for the others, Dawn is Buffy's younger sister, which I think you knew and Xander is one of her best friends. He's a muggle, though from the way that Dumbledore looks at him, there's more to the story than we know."

"And he trusts them?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore, I mean."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Really Harry. They _are _Slayers for Merlin's sake. That's right up there with _you _in the good guy rankings."

Harry nodded again, somewhat slowly. "So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt."

"And the prophecy?" Hermione asked softly.

Harry sighed, shaking his head. "That's a bit too much to ask at the moment." He looked at his two friends meaningfully. "To tell _them_." He glanced at Mrs. Weasley and then back at Ron and Hermione. "Later," he mouthed silently.

Ron and Hermione glanced over at Mrs. Weasley themselves and then nodded at Harry. "Sure," Ron said.

Hermione opened her mouth to add something when a loud crash echoed through the downstairs. The three friends grinned at each other.

"Tonks is here," Harry said.

Sure enough, moments later Tonks stumbled into the kitchen looking rather sheepish.

"Tonks!" Molly said, looking mildly surprised. "What are you doing here so early? Don't you have to work today?"

"I am working," Tonks said with a grin. "I was here all night. I'm assigned to protect Harry 24/7 now, remember?"

Ron sat up straighter. "Hey! That's right. What's up with the guard Harry?"

Harry sighed again. "That's a long story."

"Which I'm sure you'll be all too happy to tell," Tonks said. "In a moment. First, I just wanted to let you know that Kingsley is here for the morning shift. Anderson will be here later. I have to run home for some things but I'll be back soon. We're going to Privet Drive this afternoon to pick up your things."

Harry nodded. "Sounds good."

"And," Tonks said with a grin. "I thought you'd like these back." She held out the bag of books that he'd purchased the previous evening.

Harry grinned. "Thanks Tonks! I'd forgotten all about those."

"What's that?" Ron asked, glancing in the bag as Harry took it from Tonks. His face scrunched up in disgust. "Books?"

"Books?" Hermione echoed in disbelief. She grabbed the bag out of Harry's hands and started pulling them out.

Harry snorted. "Yes, Hermione. Books. Contrary to popular belief, I can read… even research without being forced to if I feel so inclined…"

Hermione blushed. "Sorry." She looked down at the books. "The Art of Occlumency?"

"Didn't think there would be anyone around to teach me," Harry said with a shrug. He turned to Tonks. "Walk you out?"

"Sure Harry."

"Be right back," Harry said to Ron and Hermione as he jumped to his feet and followed Tonks out of the kitchen.

"What's up?" Tonks asked as the door to the kitchen shut behind them. Harry didn't answer until they reached the front door.

"For starters, I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you did for me last night," he said, shifting slightly on his feet. "I know that it put you in an awkward position…. Your job and everything."

Tonks smiled. "Happy to help," she said brightly, causing Harry to grin in response. "Besides, it ended in a promotion. I'm one of the private guards of the _Proeliatoris Popularis_ now, aren't I? How many Aurors can say that?"

"Three," Harry said smartly and Tonks laughed.

"Right," she said. "Three. In the whole history of the Wizarding World. Now what else can I do for you?"

"Well," Harry said slowly. "I was kind of hoping that you, Kinsley and Anderson could spend some time training with me. You know, advanced spells, warding… Fighting."

Tonks studied him for a moment, her face suddenly serious, as was Harry's. Fun time was over, reality was back with a bang. "I don't think that will be a problem. We can rotate through… fit it in with your other training."

Harry smiled faintly. "Sounds good."

"Anything else?"

Harry nodded. "Any news on Malfoy and the other Death Eaters I captured last night? Are they going on trial?"

Tonks shook her head. "All of them are escapees from Azkaban. Protocol dictates that 5 years be added to each of their sentences for the escape. They go on trial in four days for new crimes against the Wizarding community. You will likely be called upon to testify... And if things don't go our way... well... I guess that's up to you."

"I can always make sure that they're sentenced to rot away in prison," Harry said softly, his voice unsure. They deserved that and more, he didn't question that. He just wasn't sure if he liked having that kind of power. It was more than unsettling.

As was having to decide if he wanted to help Draco set one of them free.

Harry shook his head cynically. His life was not like other peoples.

"That it?" Tonks asked.

"Not quite," Harry said slowly. "What if I were to ask you for some details on the transport of the prisoners... For instance how, when and where they'd be transferred to Azkaban from. Would you find that out for me?"

Tonks looked at Harry uncertainly. "Why would you want to know that?"

"Do you trust me, Tonks?" Harry asked seriously. "I mean, do you really trust me? Enough to get me this information without knowing the details?"

Tonks studied him intently. "There _was _someone else there, wasn't there? That's what this is all about. You need this information to what? Solidify them in the Death Eater ranks? Who is it?"

"Do you honestly think that I'm going to tell you that?"

"No. But I want you to tell me that you're sure that they can be trusted."

"I am. Veritaserum sure."

Tonks stared at Harry in disbelief for a moment. "And _where _did you get Veritaserum?"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "What Snape doesn't know won't hurt me?"

Tonks snorted. Wasn't that the truth.

"Honestly, Tonks. Just how long do _you _expect Lucius Malfoy to stay in Azkaban once he gets there? One week? Two at the most?"

Tonks studied him for a moment, her mind racing. "I won't say that you're wrong," she finally said slowly. "But to let him go..."

"I'm not even sure what I'd do with the information yet Tonks. It's just... If he's going to get out anyway, why not on our terms? Why not in a way that I can use to my advantage?"

Tonks was quiet for a moment. "Let me think about it Harry. I'll tell you this afternoon, okay?"

"Sure," Harry said with a shrug. "I understand."

"Thanks. Anything else?"

"No," Harry said. "Thanks again, Tonks. I'll see you later."

"Sure Harry. Bye."

Harry turned to go, but stopped when she called his name.

"Harry?"

"Yeah Tonks?"

"Why ask anyway? When you could just order me to tell you?"

Harry laughed shortly. "Because that wouldn't be right, Tonks. And that's not the way that I want to do things. This is too important."

"Okay," Tonks said, nodding her head slightly. "I'll see what I can find out this morning and I'll keep you updated."

Harry smiled brightly at her. "Thanks Tonks."

"Sure Harry," Tonks said. She waved and then exited through the front door.

Harry watched her leave and then headed back towards the kitchen… to find that a few more people had entered since his exit… including the twins.

And they were the first to react to him arriving back in the room.

"All hail the great and powerful warrior of the people." George said, falling to his knees and genuflecting before Harry. "We bow down before you!"

"Oh great and mighty hero!" Fred exclaimed, imitating his brother. "We are at your service!"

It appeared to be the general opinion of most of the people in the kitchen that Fred and George had finally lost it.

Harry just snorted. "Oh get up!" He shook his head as the two boys got to their feet. "Gits!" He muttered under his breath. He studied them carefully. "How'd you two learn about _Proeliatoris Popularis? _I know you didn't go to the library."

The twins seemed to shudder at the very thought before exchanging evil grins. "We read the decree," George said.

"Yeah," Fred said with a smirk. "Certain 'Boy's Who Lived' shouldn't leave important papers just laying around…"

Harry snorted again. Well, that explained it. They'd gone through his things. "Oh yeah, 'just laying around' in a locked and warded drawer in my room."

Mrs. Weasley gasped, glaring at the twins. "Boys! You didn't!"

George's eyes widened. "Now Mum…"

"Don't 'Now Mum' me, George Weasley!"

"It's okay, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, his voice reassuring. "It's all a matter of public record as of midnight last night. The whole thing will probably be printed in the Prophet today or tomorrow as it is. Besides… I'm sure that they're paying a price, albeit a small one, even as we speak. How are those boils feeling, boys?"

Fred scratched absently at the back of his hand. "Actually, they kinda itch."

"And I don't understand that," George said, scratching his neck. "We did the counter curse."

Ron snorted. "You did _a_ countercurse, George. Not _the_."

Hermione sighed. "Oh Harry. You didn't."

"Of course he did," Ron said with a smirk. "Sweet little curse you cooked up there Hermione..."

"And what curse would that be, little brother?" Fred asked, glaring at Ron.

"It's one that Hermione developed last year while researching for the DA," Harry answered with a grin. "She'd read a lot of theories on doubled curses and she thought she'd see if it would work..."

"Which it did," Ron added. "Brilliantly."

Hermione blushed and Harry's grin grew larger. "This particular one appears to be a standard boils curse, easily reversed by the counter-curse you used. But if you happen to _use _that counter-curse, the second part of the spell is activated."

"Pox," Ron said gleefully. "The counter-curse of which is... well, let's just say it's _confidential_, just like Harry's papers were supposed to be. Look forward to at least twenty-four hours of itching guys."

The twin's eyes narrowed at their younger brother. "You know, you're taking far too much glee in this," George said softly.

"And we won't forget it…" Fred finished.

"Oh yes you will!" Molly exclaimed. "I don't want to hear anything about either of you pranking Ron because of this! You deserve those pox and more! Going through Harry's private papers! I raised you better than that!"

"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley," Harry said soothingly. "I have a project for them. It will allow them to truly show their… remorse."

That got the twins attention… along with everyone else's.

Fred and George looked at each other uncertainly. There was something about Harry's tone… something that made them a tad nervous. "What?" George asked cautiously.

Harry nodded to the side and the twins followed. They were soon huddled together, Harry whispering softly. When he'd finished there was a moment of absolute silence… The twins looking somewhat stricken… Harry looking quite smug.

"Really?" Fred asked finally. Harry nodded.

The twins exchanged a look. "Okay," George said finally. He nodded to Fred. "We've got some work to do."

"Yeah," Fred said. "But how are we going to…"

Harry held up a hand. "Just leave the final touch to me. I'll take care of it."

The twins exchanged another look and then nodded as one. "Okay." They turned and headed out the door, their heads close together.

"Boys!" Molly Weasley exclaimed. "What about breakfast?"

"Later Mum," George said distractedly.

"Work to do," Fred added. He sighed. "In the library," he finished morosely. They disappeared from the room.

"Well!" Molly exclaimed. She looked over at Harry, only to find him carefully avoiding her gaze. She clucked her tongue once, but then seemed to let the matter drop. She started handing out full plates as Harry took the open seat across from Ron and next to Ginny.

"Morning Ginny," he said with a grin.

"Harry," Ginny said, smiling back at him. She leaned a little closer to him and lowered her voice to a whisper. "What scheme do you have started with my brothers?"

Harry laughed. "I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about Miss. Weasley." He glanced at her mother and then back at her, mouthing, 'I'll tell you later.'

Ginny grinned and then nodded towards Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, them too," Harry said, winking at his friends. He then tucked into his food with gusto.

They had all just about finished breakfast when the door to the kitchen opened again, this time revealing Professor Dumbledore.

Harry took one look at him and sighed. "So it's that time, is it Professor?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Indeed my dear boy. We have many things to discuss."

Harry nodded slightly. "Yes. We do." He turned to his friends, leaning close so only they would hear. "Stick close. I have a lot to discuss with you two once this conversation is over with." Ron and Hermione nodded, their faces serious.

Harry stood. "Shall we go to the parlor?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded and followed the young man out of the room. Once they were both inside, Harry turned to his Headmaster with a somewhat defiant look on his face. "Please begin Professor."

Dumbledore sighed slightly. "I wanted to begin by saying again how truly sorry…" He paused as Harry held up a hand.

"It's time to move beyond that, Professor. I haven't forgotten your actions… nor have I forgiven them. But now is not the time to dwell on that. The time will come when I will no longer be angry about what happened last spring, but nothing that you say _now _will change how I feel about it. You risked everything by keeping the truth from me… And we probably lost perhaps more that we can afford to have…" Harry was a lot calmer today, but his point was still the same… and still valid. "Do you understand that Professor? I mean, do you really, truly understand how close we were to losing this damn war before even starting to fight? Because I was there in that room at the Ministry, surrounded by Death Eaters. What if one of them had managed to finish me off? Where would our war have been then?" Harry looked at Dumbledore, shaking his head. "We both know where it would have been, Professor. It would have been _over_. All because you didn't see fit to tell me what was going on."

Dumbledore looked at Harry sadly, his shoulder's slumping ever so slightly. "I do realize that Harry. I understand now just where my folly has led us. All I can do now is learn from my mistakes… and pray that someday you find it in your heart to forgive an old man's folly. I truly wish that I could undo what I have done… And I understand why forgiveness may not come…or why hatred may not be easily set aside."

Harry sighed again, rubbing his temples tiredly. "I don't hate you, Professor… but I'm not sure that I exactly trust you anymore either."

The twinkle in Professor Dumbledore's eyes died for a moment. "And that distresses me more than you can imagine. But know this Harry, any question, any task that you ask of me from now on, I will answer or perform to the best of my ability. You have my word."

Harry nodded slightly. "All right Professor…I spoke briefly with Hermione and Ron last night and they told me a few of your plans. I would like to state that the most important thing here and now is that I master Occlumency as soon as possible. You and I need to have daily sessions until I'm an expert in the art. If you think that working with Willow will help me, than I will gladly accept her help. All other areas, hand to hand combat, weapons, advanced spells and Auror fighting techniques will take a back seat until that is completed. It is essential that Voldemort be kept out of my mind."

This statement seemed to bring something else to Professor Dumbledore's mind. "Speaking of Voldemort… Where did you learn the Memoriae, Harry?"

Harry was silent for a moment, studying his Headmaster carefully.

"I think you know where, otherwise you wouldn't have asked that question in quite that way."

Dumbledore sighed, looking at Harry sadly… and with a hint of fear in his eyes. "It isn't safe to use his knowledge like that Harry. To reach inside his mind…"

Harry shook his head, interrupting Dumbledore. "It's not like that Professor. In fact, that's exactly the point. I _didn't _reach into Voldemort's mind for that knowledge... The knowledge, the _ability_, it's just _there_. I read the Memoriae in a book and I knew that I could perform it. I just knew it. The spells, well they were transferred to me somehow, but it doesn't have anything to do with going _into _Voldemort's mind. It was always within my power to decide whether or not to use them… and that brings us to an important point. It is _essential _that we make sure that it _remains _within my power to decide what I shall and shall not do."

Dumbledore nodded. "I must say that I am relieved to hear that, Harry. It is good that you are taking the initiative when it comes to defending your mind against Voldemort."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement. "There is something else that I must ask of you Professor. I know that in working with you on Occlumency you will be privy to thoughts and memories that I am simply not comfortable with you knowing. Things that aren't mine to reveal. I must ask that _anything _you see while we are practicing be kept in the _strictest _of confidences."

"Of course Harry," Dumbledore said.

"I'm sorry Professor, but an 'of course' simply isn't good enough." Harry sighed as he felt the tension in the room go up a notch. He knew that Dumbledore had some idea what had truly happened the night before. Ron and Hermione had told him enough of the conversation that had happened after he left for him to know something of what the Professor was probably thinking… And that made it all the more important for him to feel secure in the Professor's silence. He couldn't let anyone find out about Draco. It would endanger everyone too much if the Slytherin boy didn't feel like he could trust Harry.

"Exactly what kind of pledge do you require?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

Harry shrugged. "Something binding. Something that would make you rethink any desire you might have to reveal what I know. It's important Professor. More so that you can probably imagine at this point in time."

"Oh, I think I might be able to imagine quite well," Professor Dumbledore said, his expression thoughtful. "Perhaps…"

But whatever it was that he was about to suggest was interrupted by the abrupt arrival of Dawn in the room. She seemed blithely unaware that anything was amiss in the room… for a moment anyway.

"Have you seen Buffy?" She asked brightly. She stilled as she suddenly realized what she had walked in on. "Oh! My bad! I didn't mean to interrupt." She looked from Harry to Dumbledore, seeming to note the tension. "What's the sitch? Can I help?"

Harry smiled tiredly at her. "We were just having a slight… difficulty in reaching an agreement."

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid that Mr. Potter no longer trusts me… with good reason, I'll admit. I was just trying to come up with a form of vow that he will trust."

"Ooh!" Dawn exclaimed. "Pinky-swear! _Totally _binding!"

Harry couldn't help himself. He laughed.

And Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "What do you say, Harry? Will a pinky-swear suffice?"

Harry grinned, unable to keep up his stern expression in light of such bubbly company. He shrugged slightly and held out his right hand, pinky extended. Dumbledore linked his pinky with Harry's. "I, Albus Dumbledore do pinky-swear not to reveal any information that is revealed to me during Occlumency lesson's with Harry Potter."

"Good enough for now," Harry said, his own eyes starting to twinkle. "I just hope that you understand the consequences of breaking such a pledge…"

Dumbledore looked confused for a moment and Harry grinned at him. "Dawn?" He questioned, having an inkling of the response she would give.

Dawn gave an answering grin. "If the pinky-swear is broken, the offending digit is forfeit."

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"Break the vow, lose the pinky," Harry said simply. "It means that if you break your confidence with me, you must face the consequences of a life without your right pinky. So consider your options quite carefully before speaking." Harry's face took on a serious expression. "Because I must tell you, Professor, if you break my confidence I _will _call in the debt."

And that, more than anything, seemed to solidify the seriousness of the situation for Professor Dumbledore. His expression was quite grave as he nodded in acknowledgement. "I swear on my magic that I will not reveal anything I learn without your express permission, Harry. Does that suffice?"

"Thank you Professor," Harry said, his expression grave. "I appreciate it."

Professor Dumbledore and Harry stared at each other for a moment and then the Professor turned to Dawn.

"If you'll excuse us, Miss Summers? Harry and I have some other matters to discuss."

Dawn shrugged. "No big. Crisis averted and all. I need to find Buffy anyway." She drifted towards the door. "See you both later."

"Bye Dawn," Harry said as he watched he go, shaking his head slightly. These new additions to his world were going to take some getting used to.

"An interesting group, are they not, Harry?" Professor Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"You could say that," Harry said with a smile. His face turned serious again as he thought about the occurrences of the past few days.

Dumbledore studied Harry carefully. "What do you think about Article 29-143, Harry?"

Harry sighed softly. "I don't know Professor. It's… a bit overwhelming actually. I can protect myself and my friends without The Ministry prosecuting me and that's great. But the power that they've given me… It's too much, don't you think? I mean, what guarantees do they have?"

"None," Dumbledore said softly. "They can only trust in you and hope that you are worthy of such trust. It is a heavy weight to carry. And do you want to know what I think, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "Why not?" He said wryly.

"I think that you are more than worthy of such trust… you only need to believe it. Plus, I do believe that you are extra lucky in the friends you have and ones that I am sure you will soon gain. Hermione and Ronald will without doubt provide you with much needed guidance in times of uncertainty. And I am sure that Miss Summers and Miss… Faith, both of whom carry a similar burden to the one just placed on your shoulders, would be happy to help you in any way that they can."

Dumbledore paused for a moment. "I don't think you realize it, Mr. Potter, but you are a truly unique individual. You have consistently acted in a selfless manner, thinking only of what is best for everyone but yourself. You have an innate sense of what it right and what is wrong that has never steered you false. Trust in that. Trust in yourself. I have faith that when it comes down to it, you will always choose what is right over what is easy."

Harry was silent for a few moments and then sighed again. "Thank you Professor, for your faith in me. I do appreciate it."

"There are a few other things to consider Mr. Potter. Most pressing being what actions you will take once you reach Hogwarts once again. Your new legal status must be considered."

"You mean this whole _Proeliatoris Popularis_ thing? I honestly don't know Professor. This whole thing is so new. I have no idea what's going to come of it. I'm just relieved that I can protect myself and my friends now and not have to worry about going on trial." Harry sighed, shaking his head. "I'm fifteen years old, Professor Dumbledore. I may not want to be kept in the dark and treated like a child, but I don't reckon that I know everything just yet either. So far as _I'm_ concerned this whole article whatever thing is moot when we get back to Hogwarts. I may not be overly happy with you right now, but I do trust you in most things… I believe that you truly only want what is best for me and for every student at Hogwarts."

"So as it stands now...?"

"I won't use my new status at school as long as I feel that the actions you're taking are in the best interest of everyone in the school. If I feel that you are not acting in the best interests of me, my friends or the Wizarding World, I promise to bring my concerns to you before taking any action. I only ask that you be truthful with me and explain _everything _that's going on. If we still don't see eye to eye, I will act as I see fit. That's the best I can do Professor. Is that acceptable to you?"

Dumbledore was silent for a moment and Harry could feel the intense scrutiny that he was under. Finally Professor Dumbledore seemed to make up his mind about something and he nodded. "Yes, Harry, that is acceptable to me. You wish to be treated as an equal... As who you are and who you must become. From now on I will try to look on you not only as my student, but also as Harry Potter, _Proeliatoris Popularis_. Because no matter how either of us feels about the situation, that is _indeed _who you now are."

Harry nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

"As for the Order of the Phoenix," Professor Dumbledore continued. "We no longer need to be quite as covert as we have been. But still..."

Harry nodded again. "The Order is best kept secret for now," Harry agreed. "There is no telling who outside of these walls can be trusted. If the entire Wizarding community learns of it, we are left vulnerable… _But _if we are to be revealed, we do not need to fear repercussions. This Order is deemed necessary by _me_ in the fight against Voldemort. It is therefore protected under the law and those in it are free from punishment or recriminations."

Dumbledore laughed. "You have grown up, haven't you, my dear boy? I'm only sorry that it took me so long to realize it."

Harry grinned. "Well, I had to show some maturity sometime, didn't I?" A little coaching from Hermione hadn't hurt either...

"Indeed."

"Tonks said that she and Kingsley would be taking me to get my things from the Dursley's?"

"Yes, this afternoon," Professor Dumbledore said. "I suggest that you retrieve everything that you own... For unless you choose to return to you relatives next summer, you never have to go back."

A genuine grin appeared as if by magic on Harry's face. "Really? No one's going to try and talk me into returning? I can tell them goodbye for good?"

Dumbledore smiled softly. "If that is your wish. You were deemed an adult by the laws of the Wizarding World last night, Harry, by the very nature of Article 29-143. I'm not sure that the blood magic will even apply anymore."

"Well I guess I can write that in the positive category for this whole _Proeliatoris Popularis_ thing." Harry paused for a moment, considering what life without the Dursleys would be like... "Hey, does that mean I'm allowed to apparate now?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "I'm sure that lesson's can be arranged... and you're _allowed _to do pretty much anything that you believe will help you in the fight against Voldemort."

"Oh yeah," Harry said, shaking his head slightly. "That's going to take some getting used to... I wonder if I can send Umbridge to Azkaban just because I don't like her..." Harry shook himself slightly. "Forget I said that sir. Is there anything else that you wanted to discuss Professor?"

"Not right now. We'll begin our lessons in Occlumency tomorrow morning. Would you prefer to work here or in my office at Hogwarts?"

Harry shrugged. "There might be less distractions at Hogwarts."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said as a screech rang through the downstairs of the house, followed swiftly by the sound of stampeding feet. "So Hogwarts it shall be. I have spoken with Kingsley and recommended that Miss. Faith accompany you to Privet Drive to retrieve your belongings. I trust that this is acceptable to you?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it. But are you sure that any of them should be going out? It's like placing an extra bull's-eye on our backs, isn't it? The Boy Who Lived _and _a way to the Wandless Witch in one group…?"

Dumbledore paused, looking at Harry with an unreadable expression on his face. "The Wandless Witch?"

Harry snorted. "It's who the Death Eaters were looking for last night. Ron and Hermione confirmed that the Wandless Witch is Willow. And after that whole thing last night, it seems that they know exactly who to go after in order to get to her."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "That may be the case, but with everything that has happened recently, I would prefer that Faith go with you." His eyes twinkled brightly. "I also think that meeting her will be an interesting experience for your relatives."

Harry shrugged again. "If you say so."

"I have some things that need to be taken care of. I will floo you tomorrow when it's time for your lesson."

"All right," Harry said. He turned to leave the room, pausing when he reached the door. "Thank you Professor." He left without waiting for a response.

"You are welcome my dear boy," Dumbledore said softly.

LIBRARY

Dawn entered the library and looked around, searching for her sister's familiar blonde head. "If I were a Buffy, where would I be?" She muttered to herself.

There had been a time when the _last_ answer anyone would have given to that question was a library… seeing as how a Buffy's _natural _habitat was something along the lines of a mall or a club.

Now was not then, however and the Buffy in question had become quite comfortable in libraries.

Not to mention cemeteries.

Unfortunately for Dawn, however, this was not a time when Buffy could be located in a library.

She instead found an identical pair of unusually serious red heads studying an ancient magical text.

She shrugged slightly. In her world, ancient magical texts were the norm. This being the case, she felt no hesitation whatsoever in approaching them.

"Hey guys," she said, dropping into the seat next to Fred. "Whatcha reading?"

The twins exchanged a look. "Willow's spellbook."

"Ah," Dawn said, a slightly evil glint lighting her eyes. "Trying to figure out how to harness Willow's calamity, huh?"

The twins grinned. They'd known they'd liked this girl for a reason. "Looking forward to seeing someone in bouncing pink curls?"

Dawn pouted. "Well it just so happens that I agree with Harry. One of you should have taken a picture." A slightly dreamy look crossed her face. "I can just see it... What I wouldn't give to have been there…"

"Yeah, well, we promised Harry that'd we'd have it testable by the end of the summer," Fred said with a slight sigh.

"And Snape's going to be your test subject?" Dawn asked somewhat gleefully.

_Both _of the twins sighed at this. "Unfortunately no."

Dawn studied them with surprise. "Why so glum? And why not test it on Snape?"

"Well, Harry has determined…"

"Quite correctly, I might add…"

"That when some of the more adventurous students at Hogwarts discover this little invention, he'll get to see Snape in pink curls to his annoying little heart's content…"

"And so, he's set his sights on a slightly more ambitious target…"

"Who?"

The twins sighed again before answering her in one voice…

"Professor Dumbledore."

Dawn gaped at them for a minute in shock before breaking into giggles. Priceless… absolutely priceless. The twins scowled at her for a moment before giving in and laughing themselves.

Yes, Harry was more of a prankster than they'd ever given him credit for…

"What'd you ever do to him?" Dawn asked, still snickering.

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment and then grinned wryly. "There _was _this incident with certain private papers being removed from a locked drawer..."

Dawn laughed softly. "Ah, I see." She looked at the book in front of them. "So, are you getting anywhere with the spell?" Dawn asked, reaching out and grabbing the spellbook before either boy could react. She realized that something was up when both boys reacted, grasping desperately for the book. She pulled it out of their reach and started to read… Something that was decidedly _not _the potion that Willow had been working on. "This isn't the metamorphosis potion!" She gasped, looking at the twins in horror. "This is a love spell! And love spells are bad! _Bad_, I tell you! They end up with axes and knives and rocket launchers and stupid little girls on train tracks!" Her voice had continued to rise in octave as she spoke and at the end she was practically shrieking. Fred and George looked at each other in terror and both began speaking at once in an effort to calm her.

"That's not it!" George said.

"Not at all!" Fred exclaimed.

"It's not a love potion that tries to _create _feelings!"

"It's one that _reveals _feeling!"

"It's not even for _us_!"

"We just think that Ron and Hermione have been in denial long enough, that's all!"

"We just want to help them out!"

Dawn took a deep breath and then took a closer look at the book. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that they were telling the truth. The potion wasn't designed to create love, only to reveal feelings that were already there. It wasn't completely harmless, but it wasn't as dangerous as some of the other spells kicking around.

"Well, all right… As long as you approach this with the purest of motives, I won't object," Dawn said. "But anything else and I can promise you that it _will _backfire."

The twins exchanged a glance. "You sound pretty sure of that."

"Oh yeah!" Dawn said. "I've seen it happen." She held up a hand. "Pushed a rival of the object of my affection down the stairs while under the influence of one. _Laid down on train tracks when I thought I'd lost him._ Love spells are not things to be taken lightly."

"We understand," Fred said seriously.

"Yeah," George agreed sincerely. "We just think that Ron and Hermione need a little push before they make themselves and everyone around them miserable."

"Besides, someone in our family should have some luck in the love department," Fred said somewhat bitterly.

Dawn's eyes widened slightly and she looked over at George who sighed slightly.

"Bad breakup," George supplied. "His last girlfriend, Angelina, never quite forgave him for getting kicked off the Quidditch team last year. Kinda put a strain on their relationship."

"Quid-what?" Dawn questioned uncertainly. She tensed as both boys opened their mouths, identical horrified expressions on their faces. She could sense the barrage of words that were about to be thrown her way… and wasn't quite ready for that. "Hold that thought. The Quid-whatever explanation can wait. Let's focus on the spell."

Fred and George glanced at each other and then shrugged. "Well, according to the book, all we have to do is get Ron and Hermione to drink the potion and then we say the spell. Then, nature takes it's course. They reveal all those feelings that they've been hiding from themselves."

"And from each other," George continued. "We reckon it's just what Ron and Hermione need."

"Just one problem," Fred said with a disappointed sigh. "The incantation is translated here, but it has to be _said _in Sumerian."

"And Fred and I don't happen to _speak_ Sumerian."

"I do!" Dawn said brightly. She paused nervously as the twins looked at her rapturously. "Not important!" She exclaimed quickly. There was no way she was letting them get her involved in this. "Besides," she continued heedlessly. "It doesn't matter if you understand the words, you just have to say it."

As soon as the words left her lips, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Ooh, bad! Such information in the hands of these two could be quite dangerous…

And sure enough, matching evil grins spread across identical freckled faces.

"You're my hero," Fred said with a sigh, gazing at her with something akin to adoration.

"Bloody brilliant!" George added.

Dawn just sighed. "Willow's _so _gonna kill me…"

The Sitting Room…

Harry's first stop after finishing his talk with Dumbledore was the kitchen. Finding that empty, he moved on to the sitting room, where he found Ron and Hermione talking with Willow and Faith.

He stood silently in the doorway for a moment, taking the time to study the two young women he'd just met.

He started with Willow. She was a small redhead with a pixyish face... and there was this light, sparkling glow that seemed to surround her. But Harry knew a facade when he saw one. Oh, he didn't deny that Willow was probably everything she seemed to be, but underneath... underneath, there was power. He just couldn't seem to decide what kind it was. Sure, almost everything about her was light and airy, but there was a hint of something else. Something that told him that there had once been a different kind of magic there.

Something dark and dangerous.

It made him a little nervous.

And then there was Faith. Dark hair, dark revealing clothes, dark lipstick. Everything about her screamed aggression... and there was a look on her face that told him that she wouldn't take crap from anyone. But that too was a facade. Harry didn't know what it was. Something in her eyes or in the way she held herself screamed of vulnerability... and a desire for redemption.

It was intriguing to say the least.

Yes, Dumbledore had been right. They were a _very _interesting group.

He was about to speak and let everyone know he was there when Faith looked up. She grinned at him, winking slightly as if to let him know that she'd been aware of his inspection the whole time... And considering the fact that she was a Slayer, she probably had been.

"Well, well, well," she drawled, her grin growing wider. "Look who it is. Anger-boy in the flesh."

Harry's eyebrows raised slightly as he stepped further into the room. Apparently he'd earned himself a new nickname.

"Faith is it?" He said, his tone distant, but polite. He was reserving his judgment for another time... and he was determined that they know it.

If possible, Faith's grin grew even wider. "B was right. They really don't give you enough credit. All full of caution aren't you?" Harry shrugged slightly, not denying or confirming her words. "But we'll win you over, won't we Red?"

Willow smiled over at Harry. "Don't mind Faith, Harry. You'll learn to... tolerate her."

"Ouch Red!" Faith said, throwing Willow a wounded look. "That really hurt, you know?"

Willow laughed. "Sorry Faith."

"I get no love..." Faith grinned. "All right, Anger-boy, let's get a look at you," she circled around Harry, looking him up and down. "A bit scrawny, but we can work on that. Got any experience in hand-to-hand?"

"We tend to use our wands," Harry said dryly.

"I'll fix that," Faith said with a wink. "Some conditioning, weight training, running, basic moves... You are _so _gonna hate me by the end of the summer." She winked in Willow's direction. "Well, at least Kennedy won't be here to call you a little maggot..."

Willow winced slightly at the mention of her ex-girlfriend, then smiled at Harry. "_Really_, don't mind her." She glared jokingly at Faith. "Didn't we agree to try not to scare the poor boy? At least, not quite yet?"

Faith shrugged and Harry laughed. "Not to worry Willow. I don't scare that easily."

There was something about the way he said it that had everyone in the room staring at him intently. They stayed silent for a moment before Willow finally spoke. "No, I don't suppose that you would."

Harry looked over at Ron and Hermione who were studying him uncertainly. Harry shook his head. "Okay, this needs to stop. I'm still Harry. Harry with the bad plans and the saving people thing. Sure, some things have happened and I've grown up a bit, but there's no need to keep looking at me like I might lose it at any minute. I'm fine."

Hermione looked at him doubtfully and Harry sighed. "All right, so I'm not fine, but I will be. I know what I have to do now. No more struggling to figure out what it is that everyone is trying to keep from me. No more standing around waiting for whatever horrible thing is going to happen next. No more just reacting to the bad. From now on, I'll be putting all my energy into preparing for it."

"Which brings me to Faith and Willow," Harry continued, looking back at the two women. "I know that you've both agreed to help with my training. I've discussed the situation with Professor Dumbledore and he agrees that the most important thing at this time is that I master Occlumency." Harry focused on Willow. "He thinks that you can help me with this, so I wanted to let you know that my first lesson is tomorrow at Hogwarts with Professor Dumbledore. You might want to come so you can learn more about Occlumency and Legilimency. There's a distinctly Hermionesque vibe to you," with this he winked at his best friend. "So I'm sure that you've already researched the subject, but it still might help to be there."

Faith elbowed Willow lightly in the ribs. "Anger-boy remind you of anyone right now?"

Willow snorted lightly and nodded. "Buffy in General mode."

"Well, if General Potter will take some advice," Faith said with a grin. "I'm all for focusing on that Occlu-whatever jazz first, but you might want to start getting in shape right away. And hey, there's nothing like a good run to clear the mind and all that good junk. What time's your first lesson?"

Harry shrugged. "Morning sometime."

Faith laughed. "Well then, why don't you meet me at, say six am and we'll run a couple of miles. It'll be good for you."

Harry sighed slightly. It probably wasn't a _bad _idea. "Sure."

"Harry, have you ever _been _running?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

Harry laughed. "Not unless you count running _away _from things..." Like Dudley and his gang...

"You'll need some good trainers," Hermione said, looking worriedly at Harry's shoes.

Harry sighed again. "I'll add it to my 'to-do' list for the day, 'Mum...'" Hermione glared at him, but Harry ignored her. "Which reminds me." He turned to Faith. "Professor Dumbledore said that you'd be going to my relative's house with us to pick up my things?"

"He asked, I said why not..."

Ron snorted. "Have fun. And if you have a chance to beat up... well, _any _of them, don't pass it up."

"What?" Willow exclaimed.

"She'll understand when she meets them," Harry said softly, not really meeting Willow's eyes.

Hogwarts: Headmaster's Office

"Did you speak with Potter, Albus?" Professor Snape asked, somewhat impatiently. Professor Dumbledore had called a meeting of all the heads of house after returning from Headquarters. Snape was the last to arrive and he spoke before bothering to take a seat.

"Indeed I did, Severus," Professor Dumbledore said solemnly. "And I must say that it was an _enlightening _conversation."

"Did you learn anything new?" Minerva asked.

"Not as much as I would have liked, but enough to know basically where everything stands... for now anyway."

"And his new status?" Filius asked worriedly. "How is he dealing with it?"

"As well as can be expected," Professor Dumbledore said noncommittally.

"It's ridiculous!" Snape raged, unable to keep his displeasure at the situation back any longer. "It is not as if the boy didn't ride roughshod over the rules as it was! They now made us incapable of punishing him for his missteps?"

"Oh, honestly Severus!" MacGonagall exclaimed in annoyance. "They made him exempt from prosecution, not detention!"

"Minerva is quite right," Professor Dumbledore said with a faint smile. "Any school rules that he breaks will be enforced as is policy, _except _in situations pertaining to Voldemort and his followers."

"And those _situations _of which you speak… who will define those?"

"Harry has just informed me that _I_ will," Dumbledore said. "Harry has stated that once we are again at Hogwarts, he will defer to my judgment... unless it interferes with his duties as _Proeliatoris Popularis. _And even then, he has promised to discuss the matter with me fully before taking any action."

"Albus..." Snape began.

"No, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted. "We must be very careful with Harry this year. We must all remember _exactly _who he is and not be swayed by our own prejudices. He will not stand for it this year. He has a duty. One that he feels honor-bound to fulfill. He is resolute in his desire to defeat Voldemort and he will not allow for _anyone _or _anything _to stand in his way... And he now has the power to _remove obstacles from his path_. Do not forget that Severus, or you _will _regret it."

"Such responsibility for one so young," Professor Sprout tutted. "Like he hasn't had enough to deal with in his life..."

"He will rise to the occasion, Ponoma," Minerva said softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "He always does..."

Harry and Ron's Bedroom, Order Headquarters

Harry had finally managed to get Ron and Hermione away from everyone for a private talk. He had led them upstairs to his and Ron's room and had then placed a number of silencing charms on the room. Thus protected, he turned to his best friends with an exhausted sigh.

"Quite a few days, huh mate?" Ron said sympathetically.

"You have no idea," Harry said, shaking his head slightly. Malfoy alone would have caused Ron to hit the roof...

"Want to tell us about it?" Hermione asked gently.

"What I can," Harry said, almost apologetically. "For some of it... well, I gave my word."

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look and then Ron nodded. "We accept that," he said. _'For now..._' He added silently.

"So what's all this?" Hermione asked, waving her hand at the room. "Secrets? Silencing spells? Sneaking off into London in the middle of the night? What's happening Harry? And what did Professor Dumbledore tell you at the end of term that has you, and everyone else for that matter, all nerved up?"

"The prophesy in the Department of Mysteries was about Voldemort and I," Harry said softly, getting straight to the point.

"We'd figured that much out, mate," Ron said with a slight shrug. "Last night sort of pointed in that direction."

"Are you going to tell it to us?" Hermione asked, her voice faint.

"If you want to hear it," Harry said simply. "You two are my best friends. I trust you both with my life. And you deserve to know everything that's going on, because as long as you stick by me, you're in danger. It's not fair to you _not _to tell you."

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look and then Hermione nodded. "We want to hear it, Harry. We're ready."

"So far as I know, Sibyll Trelawney has made only two true prophesies in her life. Both have dealt with Voldemort. One was made to me about Peter Pettigrew and Voldemort's return. The other was made sixteen years ago to Professor Dumbledore." Harry took a deep breath and then jumped right into the prophesy before he had a chance to change his mind. "_THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES... BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES... AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THAT THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT... AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER MAY LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES... THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES_."

There was silence in the room as Ron and Hermione absorbed what Harry had said. "Oh..." Hermione said softly, her eyes bright with sympathy. "Oh Harry..."

"_I_ have to kill him Hermione. It's going to come down to just him and me. I'm the only one... And I don't know what the _hell _I'm doing!"

"Don't swear," Hermione said automatically.

"Bloody hell Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "Enough with that! If Harry wants to swear right now, he damn well can! Merlin, Hermione! If there was _ever _a time to swear, this is it!"

Harry sighed in exasperation. "Can you two try to stop fighting for two seconds?" There was a sad look in his eyes. "I really just need..." He sighed again, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "I need your help... I need you to stop arguing and..." His eyes filled with tears and he blinked them back with annoyance. "Please..."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "We're sorry..." She looked over at Ron and then back at Harry. "You know that we don't _mean _to fight... It's just..."

"Habit?" Ron supplied helpfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ron!"

"Stress relief?" Ron added with a small grin. "Fun?"

Harry snorted. "Yeah... It seems like _loads _of fun."

"Back to the matter at hand," Hermione said hastily. "Are they absolutely _sure _that the prophecy is about you?"

"There are only two of us that it could be referring to," Harry said with a shrug. "Neville and I are the only two born at the end of July to parents who had 'defied' Voldemort three times... And he only marked one of us."

"So that's it," Ron said softly. "The big secret... the reason for everything... Why didn't they tell you earlier? Didn't they realize that you needed to prepare? Merlin Harry! He's a fully trained wizard with _years _of Dark Magic behind him. They damn well should have been training you!"

"That's what I say," Harry said with a faint smile. "Professor Dumbledore was the only one who knew of the prophecy, so far as I know. I think... I think that Sirius would have told me..."

"Darn right he would have," Ron agreed.

Harry shrugged slightly. "Professor Dumbledore said that he didn't tell me because he cared too much. He didn't want to place the burden on me too early or something like that..."

'"That's stupid!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "How can you..."

"_Harry _has to fight Voldemort!" Ron said, interrupting. "_Voldemort, _Hermione! He's is the only one who '_has the power' _to defeat the most powerful dark wizard in _centuries. _He needs to be prepared for that. They should have started preparing him for that _ages _ago!"

Hermione shifted uncertainly on her feet. "Professor Dumbledore must have had a very good reason..."

"I don't care!" Ron exclaimed. "Bloody hell, Hermione! _I don't care _what Professor Dumbledore's reasoning was! All that matters is that Harry survives this fight! He should have been training! Hell, _all of us _should have been training! We're not going to let that shriveled up old windbag _kill _Harry!"

"Of course we're not!" Hermione exclaimed. "And I don't believe that is a part of Professor Dumbledore's plan either. Yes, maybe he went about things wrong, but I believe that he did it only with the best of intentions!"

"Intentions don't matter too much to me right now, Hermione," Harry said softly. "You know the saying about where good intentions lead? That's not far off in this case. Sirius died because of Professor Dumbledore's good intentions. Hell, for all we know, Voldemort managed to _rise _again due to Professor Dumbledore's good intentions! I know it's useless to speculate about the past, but do you think that we would have reacted the same in all those situations we found ourselves in, had we known the prophecy? There are so many things that might have happened differently!"

"We'll never know for sure what we might have done had we known, Harry," Hermione said softly. "And like you said, it's useless to speculate."

"But you understand what I'm saying, don't you? You understand that this in _my _war. It has _always _been my war. It's _my job _to figure out how to destroy Voldemort and _nobody bothered to tell me!_ The lives of everyone I care about lie in my hands. Haven't I always had the right to know that?"

"Could you have handled that? In first year? Second year? Really, Harry... would you have been ready to hear that?"

"I would have had to have been, wouldn't I?" Harry asked. "I was ready to face Voldemort in various forms four out of the past five years _because I had to be_. It's as simple as that."

Hermione was silent for a moment and Harry could almost see her thinking back over the years. "Yes," she said softly. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked. "You're going to be training, we know that much... but what about us? What should we be doing?"

Harry shrugged. "Anything that you can do. I don't know how much work it'll take to get the no magic ban lifted off of you two as well, but I'll Owl Madame Bones about it..."

"And then?" Hermione said softly.

"And then we learn to fight," Ron said, answering for Harry. "We're taking over this war... aren't we Harry?"

Harry nodded. "I can't trust this battle to anyone else any longer... But I need your help. Both of you. Hermione for your knowledge and research skills. Ron, you're the best strategist I know. If I'm going to get through this, I'll need you both."

"We'll be there, Harry," Hermione said. Ron nodded in agreement. "Anything that you need us to do."

Harry smiled slightly. "Thanks. I... I really needed to hear that." His smile spread into a grin as he made his way over to the door and opened it. "What about you three?"

For sure enough, there were three very sheepish looking redheads huddled outside the door with extendable ears.

Ginny only managed to remain contrite for an instant before giving in and grinning up at Harry. "Can you get my ban lifted as well?"

Harry laughed. "We'll see."

The three Weasley's got to their feet and faced Harry.

"You know we're behind you, right mate?" Fred asked, his voice far more serious than normal.

"Because we are," George said, just as seriously.

"I know," Harry said softly. "If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't have let you hear the prophesy."

"You knew we were here all along?" Fred asked, looking somewhat crushed.

"What gave us away?" George asked, looking around as if something in the vicinity would give him an answer.

"It's not exactly a stretch of the imagination," Harry said with a shrug. "You two can smell plotting a hundred miles away!"

Fred and George looked at each other and shrugged. "Well, there is that," Fred said with a grin. "Let us know if there's anything that we can do."

"We have some things in development that might help," George said. "We'll give you a tour sometime soon."

"That would be good," Harry said.

"In the meantime, we'll just get back to work on that project of yours," Fred said with a wink. "We'll be in the library if you need us." He was already on his way down the stairs before George started moving.

"What's his hurry?" Ron asked, staring after Fred in confusion. "Don't you both hate the library?"

"Ah yes," George said with a grin. "But it just so happens that we left behind a cute brunette in the library when Ginny came to get us. A _very _cute brunette..."

Privet Drive

Faith looked around as she followed Harry, Tonks and Kingsley off the Knight Bus. Moody and Lupin had planned to come, but a last minute incident had sent them out on a reconnaissance mission.

There was something about the place that struck Faith as being... off. It was a quiet little street. Each house like the next, like the next, on and on...

Every car, every yard, hell, even every _person _just about the same.

Then she looked at Harry.

"Dude, you _so_ don't fit in here."

Harry snorted. "So I've been told every day since I arrived." He took a deep breath and started off at a brisk walk towards Number Four.

Faith leaned over to Tonks. "His family... I'm really not going to like them, am I?"

Tonks bristled slightly. "His _family _lives at Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

"Whoa, sorry!" Faith exclaimed, holding up her hands in surrender. "His relatives, then. They don't sound too... nice."

Tonks sighed. "I'm sorry Faith. It's just... Harry's a good kid, you know? And he's been through so much. To have been placed with this family... a family that hates him simply because he's different... It makes me angry sometimes. He deserved better."

Faith sighed slightly. "Yeah. I'm sure he did." She looked ahead and noticed that Harry had reached the door of Number Four. "And I think we'd better hurry and catch up Nymphy. Don't want those nasty relations of his taking any shots without us there to back him up."

Tonks sighed at the nickname, but picked up her pace to match Faith's. At least it was better than what the Slayer had dubbed Kingsley... She would never forget the look on his face the first time the girl had called him 'Baldy'. Tonks snorted softly under her breath and jogged the last few meters, reaching the door just as Kingsley knocked.

It was answered by a portly gentleman with a questioning expression on his face. An expression that turned mean when he realized just who was at his door. "Oh, you're back then," he said, glaring at Harry and then at the rest of the people on his doorstep. "Well, come in then... _Alone_! There are chores that need to be done."

"Then I suggest that you do them, Pops," Faith said with a smirk. "'Cause Anger-boy's just here to collect his things and then we're blowing this joint post-hasty."

Vernon Dursley's face purpled. "Blowing?" He sputtered. "You freaks have come to destroy my home? Well I won't allow it! None of you, including _him_, are welcome inside this house!"

"Dude, we're not going to blow up your ugly little house," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "All I meant was that we'd be leaving. You gotta get out more."

"It's just a saying, Uncle Vernon," Harry said with a sigh. "Can I please just come in and get my things? Once I have everything... well, you'll never hear from me again."

Vernon Dursley couldn't help but smile at this news. In fact, to his mind, it was the best news he'd heard in about 14 years. "You mean it boy? You're leaving for good?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Wait. What's changed?"

"My legal status," Harry said with a shrug. "I'm no longer considered a minor by the Wizarding World. I can make my own choices now, and I choose to leave this damn house and everyone in it behind me. For good. Now can I come in and get my things or what?"

Warring emotions played their way across Vernon's face. There were two choices. Let him in and soon be rid of him forever. Or deny him access, just for the hell of it.

"Let's make this an easier decision," Faith said, upset by the sheer unpleasantness of this man. "You let him in to get his things and I don't rip you apart bit by bit."

"Faith!" Tonks exclaimed.

Faith looked at her and shrugged. "Buffy likes to say that she doesn't _always _use violence. I embrace it."

"We're not threatening you, Mr. Dursley..."

Faith scoffed.

"No one but _Faith _is threatening you," Tonks amended. "But I can assure you that nothing will happen to you or you home if you just let Harry in to get his things."

Vernon huffed indignantly, but relented. "Just him!"

Tonks shook her head. "Faith will stay outside, but Kingsley and I need to remain in the foyer."

Vernon again looked torn, but likely deciding that it was better to have the two weirdest looking of the bunch out of sight (rather than standing on his porch), he relented. "All right, but no funny business!"

Harry rolled his eyes, but entered the house, followed by Tonks and Kingsley. "I'll just be a few minutes," Harry said before jogging up the stairs to his room.

Tonks and Kingsley looked at each other and then over at Mr. Dursley.

"Umm, nice place you have here," Kingsley said politely.

All he got in response was silence and a hateful glare.

"Lovely," Tonks said sarcastically. She glared back at Dursley for a moment before turning her back on him.

A heavy silence fell over the foyer as one minute became five, became ten, became fifteen, became...

"Where's Harry?" Tonks asked suddenly, looking at her watch in concern. "He should have been back down by now."

Kingsley looked at Tonks nervously and then as one they raced for the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" Vernon asked angrily. "I didn't say you could leave this room!"

They ignored him, instead heading straight for Harry's room.

They found his things in a neat pile (consisting of his school trunk and Hedwig's cage, sans Hedwig) with a note on top. They did a quick search of the room and the top floor of the house. Finding no sign of Harry, Tonks picked up the note and read it aloud.

_"'Kingsley, Tonks and Faith,_

_Sorry to run off like this, but I had some things that I had to tend to. Since I didn't think that you'd let me go on my own, I decided to take the matter into my own hands._

_I have searched the house, and what is in my trunk now constitutes all my worldly possessions. Please take it and Hedwig's cage to Grimmauld Place and I will meet you there. Do not attempt to find me. Failure to comply with this order would severely compromise the efforts of the Proeliatoris Popularis, and so is illegal by decree. So says I. _

_I'm very sorry about this. Someday I hope you'll understand._

_Harry'"_

Tonks stared at the letter for a moment and then swore under her breath. "Damned if that kid hasn't already started reading up on legalese." She shook her head. "I knew that we needed Moody here with us!"

"Invisibility cloak?" Kingsley asked softly.

"Oh yeah," Tonks agreed. She scowled down at the note in her hands. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Let's get his things back to Headquarters," Kingsley said with a sigh. "And figure out a way to explain to Molly Weasley how we lost a 14 year old boy...Again!"

Tonks sighed. "I guess we'd better."

Kingsley placed a featherweight charm on the trunk and picked it up and they slumped down the stairs. "Good day Dursley," Tonks said as they walked past him and out the door. They had only taken a few steps when Tonks stopped short.

"Wait a minute... Where the hell is Faith?"

Kingsley looked around and then sighed again, realizing that he hadn't seen her since before they noticed Harry was missing. "We're never going to hear the end of this. Two teenagers, granted two very unique teenagers... but teenagers none the less, give us the slip without so much as a hint to where they were going, or even that they'd left. Moody's going to roast us alive."

Harry's Building

Harry stepped into an alleyway near his flat. He looked around cautiously before removing his invisibility cloak.

And heard a voice from behind him just as he once again became visible.

"All right, Anger-Boy... The jig's up."

Harry spun around, his invisibility cloak held loosely in one hand. He didn't even bother to reach for his wand. He recognized the voice... and his annoying new nickname, immediately.

"Bloody hell Faith!" He exclaimed. "You scared the life out of me!"

"That's probably what poor Baldy and Nymphy are feeling right now," Faith said, attempting to keep an expression of disapproval on her face. "Your running off is getting to be a bad habit."

Harry sighed. "You know, sometimes a bloke just needs some privacy. A few hours without someone two feet away. It's important, you know?"

"Well sure," Faith said with a shrug.

Harry looked at her in shock. That really wasn't the response he'd been expecting. He'd thought it would be... louder... and more, heck... disapproving.

Faith noted the look and sighed. "Okay, so I'm really no good at this outraged, mature, responsible _'adult' _thing. I'm nineteen for cripes sake... and _so_ not the responsible type. Besides, I think you probably know as well as anyone else in this thing what's important and what's not. I also have a feeling that you're not sneaking off for some normal teenage boy thing. I mean, it's not like you have a girl stashed in this place for a booty-call, right?"

"Booty-call?" Harry questioned, confused. Then it hit him what she meant and his face flamed bright red. "Oh no! No, that's not it at all. It's actually really important to the fight against Voldemort... I just can't tell you why."

"That's what I thought," Faith said with a grin. "So here's the deal. You head on in and do whatever it is that you came here to do. I'll stay here and watch your back. When you're done, you meet me back here and I'll escort you home, all body-guard like. What do you say?"

Harry sighed slightly. "Actually, I don't reckon I have much of a choice in the matter..."

"Oh, you have a choice," Faith said with a smirk. "You do as I ask, or we go back now, you kicking and screaming over my shoulder if need be... But who wants to cause that kind of ruckus...?"

Harry gulped slightly, not doubting for a moment that she would do as she said. "Fine, I'll meet you back here, no tricks... All I ask is that you forget where we are right now... in case anyone asks."

"Oh, they'll ask. I've only known them a few weeks and I have that all figured out. They'll ask. Often. And as annoying as they may choose to make themselves, I promise that your secret is safe with me."

Harry let out a breath of relief. "Thank you Faith."

"No big, Anger-boy," Faith said with a grin. "I know how hard it can be to have the weight of the world resting on your shoulders while the people around you either think that you're too young or too stupid to handle it. They'll never understand that we _have _to handle it. They have a choice. We never have... and never will."

Harry nodded slightly in acknowledgement of her words and smiled softly. It was nice to have someone understand without having to explain. To know what it meant to have to make the hard decisions.

"Give me twenty minutes," he said, starting around to the front of the building. "And I need to make a stop on the way back to headquarters."

"What for?" Faith asked.

"If I'm going to be running at six tomorrow morning, I'm going to be needing some new trainers."

"Ah," Faith said, nodding her head slightly. "That's British-speak for sneakers, right? Sure. No problem."

Harry's Apartment...

Harry opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside, only to be met immediately by the business end of Draco Malfoy's wand.

"Damnit Malfoy," he muttered. "Put that thing away!"

"Ah, Potter," Malfoy said warily, somewhat reluctantly lowering his wand. "You're back then?"

Harry snorted. "You have a talent for stating the obvious, Malfoy... Or were you expecting someone else?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Trust issues Potter. It's not any easier for me to take you at your word than it would be for you to take me at mine."

Harry sighed. "I have a feeling that this will be a learning experience for the both of us, Malfoy."

Malfoy nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

Harry took a deep breath. "So, how are you feeling?" No words had ever sounding so strange to him. _'I'm asking Draco Malfoy how he's feeling... and I'm actually almost _concerned _about him.' _He shook his head in disbelief. _'The devil and all his minions must be skating in hell right now.'_

Draco looked about as surprised by Harry's polite inquiry as Harry was to have made it.

"Better," he replied, uncertainly. "I think everything's just about healed now." As far as he could tell anyway...

"That's good," Harry said. There was an awkward silence while both of them searched desperately for something to say. "Here," Harry said finally, pulling a newspaper out of his pocket and shoving it in Draco's direction. "Prophet."

Draco nodded slightly and took the paper. "Is there anything about my father in there?"

Harry shrugged. "Not much. Only a short article about attacks on muggles and the capture of a number of escaped prisoners. Your father is the only one that they mention by name. They're going on trial in four days."

"That's in here?"

"No."

"Oh," Draco said. "Then how...?"

"I have my sources. As soon as I know more I'll let you know. We'll start working on a plan to free your father... _only _your father, by the way... Just in case that's what we decide to do."

Draco nodded again, studying the paper in his hands intently.

"Do you have everything that you need?" Harry asked after another awkward silence. "Do you want me to get a message to anyone? Your mother, maybe?"

Draco sighed softly. "I probably should, to keep up appearances... but I don't know that I want to. Mother's a bit..." He paused, as if unsure what he was trying to say. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know that she'll truly notice that I'm gone. Children aren't exactly _high _on Mother's list of priorities..."

Harry winced slightly at his words, fighting to keep himself from letting sympathy overtake any of his dislike for the Malfoy heir. He looked around the room, carefully avoiding Draco until he had managed to bring himself back to the more comfortable state of unwilling allegiance, rather than actual trust or amity.

"So is that a yes of a no?" He asked finally. "Will you father wonder why you didn't contact your mother if you choose not to?"

"No," Draco said. "He wouldn't be surprised if I avoided contacting her... No, I don't think she needs to know anything... Nor do I think that she'll care."

"All right," Harry said, deciding that it was best to leave well enough alone.

There was another long silence, neither one of them knowing what to say next. Finally Draco just blurted out a question that had been bugging him.

"Why did you do it?"

Harry snorted slightly. "We've been over this Malfoy..."

"No," Draco said, shaking his head. "That's not really what I meant... It's more... How did you know? How do you _always _know?"

Harry studied the other boy in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What I did yesterday? That was the first selfless act of my life. The first time that I have _ever _done something simply because it was the right thing to do. Most of the time I don't even _know _what the right thing is... And even if I know, I only do the right thing if it fits my purpose." Draco looked down at his hands, a tortured look on his face. "I stood by and watched my father _murder _a girl. I just stood by and _watched_." He looked up at Harry, his gaze almost accusing. "You would never do that. I barely know you and I'm sure of that. You'd just jump in and fight, no matter the odds. Regardless of the danger... Even when it's _me _you're saving."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Well, in my defense, you _were _between me and the girl. I had to save you in order to save her."

It was Draco's turn to snort. "So not true Potter. You're so perversely noble that you would have done the same thing even if I'd been the only one there."

"Just don't go spreading that around," Harry said with a scowl. "Look, I do the things that I do because I have to. It's who I am. I can't stand by and watch something bad happen, especially if there's something that I can do to stop it. As for how I know what's right..." Harry shrugged. "I go with my gut. Hell, half the time it isn't even a _decision_. I do things because they _need _to be done. And Voldemort... well, he's _my _responsibility, as is everyone that follows him. I'm not going to let _anyone _be hurt by him or his Death Eaters. Not even you."

Draco nodded slightly in acknowledgement, halfway wishing that he'd just kept his mouth shut. Sometimes it just didn't pay to think too much...

"Look, I'll keep you updated on your father, so be thinking about what you want to do with the information. I'll back whatever decision you make. Right now I've got to get going."

"Ditch the bodyguards again?" Draco asked innocently.

Harry looked at him sharply, but then decided that it was probably common sense that had led Draco to that conclusion. Say what you would about the guy, but he was not stupid... "Most of them," Harry said with a shrug. "One slipped through, but we made a deal..." He looked down at his watch. "And I have to hurry if I'm not going to break that agreement. I'll be back tomorrow if I can. Make a list of anything that you need."

"All right," Draco said, nodding slightly.

"Goodnight," Harry said. He hurried out the door, waving his hand in acknowledgement of Draco's answering 'goodnight.'

He reached Faith almost exactly twenty minutes after he'd left her.

"Just in time, hotshot," she said, glancing at her watch. "Two more seconds and I'd've been calling in the Calvary."

Harry blinked in surprise. "Call in the Calvary? With what? Wizards don't _have _phones."

"Ah, but Giles' do," Faith said with a smirk. "And they also have floo connected fireplaces..."

Harry paled slightly. "Have I ever told you what a kind, wonderful and patient person you are...?"

"Aww, I'm blushing... really." Faith laughed. "No need to suck up, kid. I said I wasn't going to say anything and I won't. Ready to get going?"

Harry nodded. "Lead on," he said, gesturing to Faith to start home.

"Me lead?" Faith questioned with a snort. "Yeah right. Like I have the first damn clue where the hell we are!"

Harry laughed. "So I guess throwing me over your shoulder and carrying me home was an empty threat on your part?"

"Smart-ass," Faith muttered. "Just get me home, Anger-boy. It's almost suppertime and I'm starving."

"No problem," Harry said with a shrug. He held out his wand and took a slight step back as the Knight Bus roared to a stop in front of them. He grinned at Faith and gestured to the door. "After you."


End file.
